KADAI CHOLE

INGREDIENTS:

Chickpeas	1 cup
Salt	To taste
Red chili powder	¼ tsp
Chana masala powder	1 – 1.5 tbsp
Coriander powder	½ tbsp
Cumin powder	¼ tsp
Amchur powder	½ tsp
Garam masala powder	¼ tsp
Ghee	2-3 tbsp
Ginger	1 inch – finely julienned
Green chili	1-2 slit into halves
Tomato	1 medium – chopped into chunks
Ajwain seeds	½ tsp
Coriander leaves	1-2 tbsp chopped

METHOD:

• Wash and soak chickpeas in water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain out the water and then rinse the soaked chickpeas.
• Cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles. You can also add 1-inch cinnamon stick and a black cardamom to the chickpeas while cooking.
• After cooking chickpeas, drain out the water from chickpeas and also remove the cinnamon stick and black cardamom if using.
• In a large bowl, add the cooked chickpeas, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder, chana masala powder. Please adjust the spice according to your spice level.
• Mix all the ingredients well so that chickpeas are well coated in spices. Let the chickpeas marinate for 20-30 mins.
• Heat a pan on med flame and add 2-3 tbsp of ghee. Let ghee become very hot.
• Simultaneously heat another pan on lowest flame and add marinated chickpeas, julienned ginger, slit green chilies and diced tomato.  Mix everything well gently.
• When the ghee becomes very hot, add ½ tsp of ajwain seeds and immediately add this ajwain-flavored ghee to the chole.
• Mix the ghee well into the chole and saute for 2-3 mins on med flame. Remove the chole from heat and add the chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with puris and enjoy!!!

Note:   

1.       Please add more or less ghee as per your choice. But add at least 1.5 tbsp of ghee because that quantity will be needed so that everything is well coated. Also, as the chole isn’t cooked for longer time, the addition of hot ghee will help to cook the spices and remove the raw flavor.

2.       The tomatoes should retain their shape and not turn mushy. So mix everything gently and don’t cook for more than 2-3 mins.

3.       It is also preferred that you make the chole just before serving so that the tomatoes retain shape. Let the chickpeas be marinated beforehand but do the ghee tadka at the time of serving.