Padmas Navaruchi

Hello friends,

Do you want to know how to make Amritsari chole?

The Ganesha festival is over, and the Navaratri festival is still on the way, so I thought of making some spicy, chatpata and delicious chole, which is liked by most people. this is a very familiar dish in the North, especially in AMRITSAR, PUNJAB, AND DELHI.

Yes, I am talking about a gravy called Amritsari chole, made out of chickpeas (black chana). This needs pre-soaking of chana, then pressure cooking with a few spices, and then adding a few more ingredients to make gravy.

AMRITSARI CHOLE is made in many ways.
In different places in India, you get different types of this dish. They are PUNJABI CHOLE, PINDI CHOLE, AMRITHSARI CHOLE, AND DELHI KE CHOLE.
The basic ingredient is the same which is chickpeas. (black chana or white Kabuli chana) but the spices used are different, some use onions, some use potatoes and tomatoes, and ginger-garlic are also used. Along with it, different spices are used to give a particular taste.

Ingredients needed for making Amritsari chole: –

• 1 Cup or 250 grams -of black chickpeas or chana-soaked overnight.
• 1.5 cups of Tomato puree (2-3 medium-sized tomatoes used).
• 2 onions -fine paste.
• 1 tablespoon of ghee.
• 2 tablespoons of oil.
• 1 Tablespoon of ginger garlic paste.
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon Kastoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1 big glass of water or as required.
• 2-3 tablespoons of chole masala (ingredients are given below)

Ingredients for preparation of chole masala: –

• 1 -tablespoon jeera or jeera powder
• 1-tablespoon-Anardana or dried pomegranate seeds
• 1 teaspoon of black salt powder.
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Amchur or dry mango powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon-Kastoori Methi

For garnishing chole: –

• 1 tablespoon of Ghee
• 2- green chilies slit in 2 halves vertically
• 1 inch ginger-finely cut into Julians…
• 1/2 a teaspoon of garam masala
• 1/2 a teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder

Ingredients needed while cooking chickpeas.

• 1 cup of overnight soaked chickpeas.
• 2 teaspoons of tea powder or 2 tea bags
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
• 4- cardamoms
• 6- cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of cooking soda
• 1 glass of water for cooking the chickpeas

MAKING OF AMRITSARI CHOLE: –
It can be divided into 5 steps.

1) soaking of chickpeas

• Take a cup of chickpeas clean and wash it nicely.
• Now soak it in clean water overnight.

2) pressure cooking the chickpeas

• In a white cloth put a bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms, and tea powder.
• Take a pressure cooker and put the soaked peas into it. Also, put the spices in tied cloth.
• Put a glass of water, salt, and soda. Now cover the lid and cook giving 5-6 whistles.
• See how it looks after the pressure cooking is done.
• Remove the tied cloth piece and strain the water, putting them into a bowl.
• Test it by pressing it with your hand on a spoon and you see it can be easily mashed and is very soft.

3)Making of dry and wet gravy masalas

• make dry chole masala powder by grinding together, the dry spices such as cumin seeds, pomegranate seeds, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, Amchur powder, black salt powder, and Kastoori Methi leaves.
• Also, grind onions and ginger-garlic to fine pastes.
• grind tomatoes to make a puree.

NOTE: –KEEP ALL THESE INGREDIENTS READY

4) Cooking yummy chole

• Take a thick kadhai, and put 3 tablespoons of oil.
• heat the oil and reduce the flame.

• Firstly, add onion paste and ginger garlic paste to the oil, and sauté till it leaves the raw smell and oil.

• Now add the pureed tomato paste and sauté for40 seconds.

• You can cover and cook as the liquid in the kadhai you are cooking starts jumping out as droplets.
• Now add the chole masala 3-4 tablespoons or less as you want its taste.

• Combine them well and sauté on low flame till it starts leaving oil.

• Now is the time to add the cooked chickpeas and salt with a glass of water and simmer so that the chickpeas absorb the salt and spices in the gravy.
• Let cook for 5-8 mts, now taste for its salt and spices and adjust if you need to.

5)Garnishing of Amritsari chole

• Take a tadka pan ,and add ghee to that. heat on a low flame.
• Now add ginger Julians, slit green chilies, and 3/4 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chilly powder to it after turning off the flame.

• put the garnish on the chole you just made.
• Add some kasoori methi and mix to this yummy chole.

SERVE HOT AND YUMMY, SPICY, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY GRAVY -AMRITSARI CHOLE WITH HOT BHATURA, OR POORI, OR EVEN WITH PLAIN PARATHA, AND YOU WILL LOVE IT.

• Notes:-
• If you feel the gravy is too watery in consistency, mash a few boiled chickpeas and add them to the gravy, it will be ok.
• sprinkle a few fresh coriander leaves on the gravy before serving.
• A dash of lemon juice will enhance the taste.
• Add a few fresh onion slices or rings.

YOU CAN GET THE RECIPE FOR BHATURA IN MY UPCOMING POST.

https://padmas-navaruchi.in/2020/06/plain-poori/?swcfpc=1

https://padmas-navaruchi.in/2020/07/parathas-in-different-shapes