Punjabi Chole Recipe (2024)

Punjabi Chole Recipe is an Indian curry made using chickpeas (chole), onions, tomatoes, and Indian spices. It is one of the most popular curries in North Indian cuisine. Make it in one pot using my easy recipe in a stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot.

About Punjabi Chole (Chana Masala)

Chole (Chana) is chickpeas in Hindi and masala is a curry made using onion, tomato, and spices. Chole Masala (Chana Masala) is a spicy Indian curry made using chickpeas that is very popular in Punjab and Delhi regions.

It is a must-make dish for all festivals, Indian weddings, parties, and get-togethers. Chole Bhature (fried puffed bread) is a very popular combination and is a comfort food for many Indians. Some homes even have the ritual of making this combination for Sunday lunches.

Punjabi chole is listed on the menu of most Indian restaurants and although you can order them from outside, the taste of homemade chole is unmatchable.

Each home has its own recipe to make chole. Some make it with onions and garlic and some make it without. Some people add chole masala powder and some don’t. Some cook the soaked chole and then add them to the masala and some, like me, cook them all together.

My recipe to make this Punjabi chole curry is one-pot, uses basic ingredients, and comes together quickly. You get the curry that is dark in color, spicy tangy, and full of flavors.

This recipe is vegetarian and can be easily made vegan and gluten-free.

Double or triple if making it for a crowd.

Chana Masala can be made in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot. Just make sure to use a bigger pressure cooker or instant pot if scaling it. The time of cooking will remain the same.

Here are some more chole recipes that you may like

• Palak Chole
• Achari Chole
• Amritsari Chole
• Chana Masala
• Chana Madra

Ingredients

This curry needs some very basic ingredients which are easily available in all Indian grocery stores.

Chickpeas (Chana, Chole, Garbanzo Beans) – This recipe is traditionally made using dry chickpeas that are soaked in water and then cooked with a spicy masala.

To save time, you can use canned chickpeas as well.

Black Tea (Chai Patti) – This is the trick to getting dark-colored chickpea curry. You can use loose black tea or tea bags.

Some people use dry amla (gooseberry) to darken their chole curry.

Whole Spices – You will need some whole spices such as cloves (laung), black cardamoms (badi elaichi), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), and cinnamon (dalchini).

Crush them a little in a mortar and pestle for the best flavor.

Spice Powders – To flavor up the curry, you will need chole masala powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder (jeera powder), and anardana powder (pomegranate seeds powder).

I use Everest brand chole masala powder but you can use any brand that you like.

Anadrana powder gives a tangy taste to this Punjabi chole recipe and is traditionally added. But if it is not available easily, then skip it and add some more tamarind paste once the chole curry is ready.

Kasuri Methi – Kasuri methi adds a nice rustic flavor. I make my own Kasuri Methi at home but you can use a packet too.

Oil – Make this curry in vegetable oil, mustard oil, or ghee.

Others – You will also need onions, ginger garlic paste, grated fresh tomatoes, baking soda, tamarind paste, and salt.

Baking soda helps cook the chole very nicely.

Tempering – Although optional, a ghee tempering at the end makes this curry even more extravagant.

You will need ghee, asafetida (hing), fresh ginger, and green chillies.

Skip adding asafetida for a gluten-free curry.

Replace ghee with oil for a vegan curry.

How To Make Chole Masala

Soak The Chickpeas

Wash 1 cup (7 oz, 200 g) of dried white chickpeas with water and soak them in 3-4 cups of water for 4-5 hours.

Drain the water and wash them well once more. Drain and keep aside.

Brew The Tea

Heat 2 cups of water in a pan over medium heat.

Once the water comes to a boil, add 2 teaspoon of loose black tea leaves (or 2 teabags) and cook for a minute. You can skip this step if you don’t care about the color of the curry.

Strain the tea using a tea strainer and keep it aside.

Make The Chole Curry

In A Traditional Pressure Cooker

Lightly crush

• 2-3 cloves
• 1 black cardamom
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

in a mortar and pestle.

Heat 5 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the crushed spices and fry for 4-5 seconds.

Add 1 cup of grated onions and cook until they turn slightly brown in color, stirring frequently (8-10 minutes). Splash a little water if the paste sticks at the bottom of the cooker.

Add 2 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes or until the raw smell is gone.

Now add 1 cup of grated tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.

Add

• 2 tablespoon of chole masala powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon anardana powder (optional)

and cook until the oil starts to separate from the sides (1-2 minutes).

Now add the

• soaked chole
• tea water
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of plain water

to the cooker and stir gently.

Close the lid of the cooker.

Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.

Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the cooker.

Add 1 tablespoon of Kauri methi and 1 teaspoon tamarind paste and mix well.

Slightly mash the chole using the back of a ladle for a super creamy texture of the curry.

Check for salt and add more if needed.

If the chole are not tangy enough, then add a teaspoon or two of tamarind paste, dry mango powder (amchur powder), or lime juice and mix well.

In An Instant Pot

Press the SAUTE mode of the instant pot.

Follow the recipe until adding the chole and water.

Close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.

Now press PRESSURE COOK mode and set the timer to 20 minutes at high pressure.

The instant pot will take some time to build the pressure and the timer to start.

Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.

Open the lid and add 1 tablespoon of Kauri methi and 1 teaspoon tamarind paste and mix well.

Slightly mash the chole using the back of a ladle for a super creamy texture for the curry.

Check for salt and add more if needed.

If the chole are not tangy enough, then add a teaspoon or two of tamarind paste, dry mango powder (amchur powder), or lime juice and mix well.

Temper The Chana Masala (Optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee for tempering in a small pan over medium-high heat.

Once the ghee is hot, add

• ½ teaspoon asafetida
• 2-3 green chiles (slit into half)
• 1 teaspoon ginger juliennes

and fry for 10-12 seconds.

Pour the tempering over the chole and mix well.Serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pro Tips By Neha

If you forgot to soak chickpeas, then soak them in boiling hot water for about an hour or two. I usually soak them in a hot case to even fasten the soaking process.

Always slightly overcook the chickpeas. They should very easily press in between your fingers.

Tea is optional, but if you need that dark color in your chole curry, then you must use it. Never use tea bags directly in the cooker as they might burst inside the cooker.

Slightly mashing a few chickpeas, once the curry is ready, makes the curry very creamy.

If anardana is not available, you can use lemon juice, tamarind pulp, or dry mango powder in its place.

I like the consistency of my Punjabi chole masala on the drier side. You can choose to add more water to make the gravy thinner.

Serving Suggestions

Chole curry can be served for brunch, breakfast, dinner, or lunch with Poori, Naan, Garlic Naan, or Bhatura.

You can also serve Punjabi chana masala with Plain Tawa Paratha, Lachha Paratha, Phulka, Steamed Rice, or Jeera Rice.

I sometimes add it over my Aloo Tikkis and then top it with some coriander mint chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, finely chopped onions, and sev to make chaat.

Storage Suggestions

Punjabi Chole will last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. If you are storing in big quantities, reheat only the amount you need, as reheating, again and again, will decrease its shelf life.

If you feel the curry has become a little dry after refrigeration, add in a little water and give it a mix.

You can also freeze the Punjabi chole masala curry for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost on the counter and then reheat.

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