Punjabi Chole Masala

Chole Masala is one of those dishes that never fails to fill the house with a deep, warm aroma. For me, Punjabi-style chole is all about that bold masala, tender chickpeas, and a gravy that’s rich but not too heavy. It’s the kind of dish that feels just right with bhature, chapathi, or even plain rice when you want something filling and full of flavour.

I usually soak the chickpeas overnight, then pressure cook them until soft but not mushy. The masala is what makes the difference. I start by sautéing onions, then add ginger, green chillies, and tomatoes, cooked down until everything blends into a thick base. Then comes the mix of spices – chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera, amchur, turmeric, and of course, chole masala powder. I let it all cook until the oil begins to separate.

To deepen the flavour and give the curry its dark colour, I sometimes add a pinch of tea powder in a small cloth pouch while pressure cooking the chickpeas – a little trick that gives it that typical Punjabi touch.

Once the chickpeas go into the masala, I let it all simmer together. A splash of hot water, a squeeze of lime, maybe a bit of crushed kasuri methi at the end. That’s all it needs. If there’s time, I keep it on low for longer – the flavour only gets better.

I usually serve it with poori or bhature when I want something indulgent, but even with chapathi or jeera rice, it holds up beautifully. A few raw onions, a wedge of lemon on the side – perfect.

Punjabi Chole isn’t a quick fix. It takes a little time and layering, but it’s always worth it. It’s one of those dishes that feels rich, filling, and homey all at once.

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Punjabi Chole Masala

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Boiling, Sauteing Cuisine: Indian, Punjab Courses: Breakast, Curries & Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 50 mins

Servings: 6

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year, Rain, Winter

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 cup Chickpeas (soaked overnight)
• 1 cup Tomato Puree
• 1 stick Chinnamon
• 3 Cloves
• 1 teaspoon Ginger (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic (crushed)
• 1 Onion (chopped)
• 1 Bayleaf
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala Powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Aamchur Powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• Salt and Oil as required
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon Pepper powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Instructions

1. To make Punjabi Chole, First of all Cook chickpeas with enough water and salt. Drain excess water and keep it aside
2. In a pan add Cloves, Cinnamon stick, Bay leaf and saute for few minutes, then add Onion and cook it in medium flame
3. Add ginger and garlic crushed, cook till raw smell vanish.
4. Now add Tomato puree and cook about 10 minutes till oil start to release
5. In next step we will add masala powders, Chilly powder, turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder, Aamchur powder and mix well
6. Add salt as required (remember we already added some salt with chickpeas)
7. Next step is creating the gravy. For that we add enough water and mix well
8. Now you can add cooked Chickpea and mix well and cook for some time till the gravy reach the right consistency
9. Garnish with Kasuri methi (optional)
10. Serve with Bhatoora, Chapathi or Puri