Punjabi chole garnished with ginger and fried chilies

Chole Recipe (Punjabi Chole Masala)

By Swasthi on December 3, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Chole Recipe with stovetop & Instant Pot Instructions – Chickpeas cooked in a delicious, flavorful, tangy & spicy gravy. Punjabi Chole Masala served with Bhatura is a favorite among many Indians and is a very popular meal in Dhabas and North Indian restaurants. The combo of Chole Bhatura & Chole chawal (Basmati rice) are simply irresistible & delicious. If you love Indian foods, you will return to this vegan and protein packed dish time and again.

Punjabi chole recipe

This post will help you make a very flavorful & delicious Punjabi Chole Masala that you can serve with plain Basmati rice, Jeera rice, Bhatura, Poori, Butter naan, Tandoori roti, Kulcha, phulka or even with plain Parathas.

About Chole

Chole Masala is a popular Punjabi dish where chickpeas are simmered in a spicy & tangy gravy. “Chole” is a Punjabi word for “chickpeas” and “masala” is a word for “spices”. So this dish is nothing but chickpeas cooked to perfection with various spices, onions, tomatoes and herbs.

Chickpea is a legume that is relished all over India. While the term Chole is specifically used to mention the Punjabi dish, Chana masala is a more generic word used to mention any spiced Indian Chickpea Curry. So Chole Masala is a Punjabi preparation and Chana Masala or a simple Indian Chickpea Curry is not necessarily Punjabi and is made in numerous ways across India.

Punjabi Chole is made with a unique spice blend known as Chole Masala powder & it is the heart of this dish which you may not find in a regular chana masala.

Ingredients like anardana (dried pomegranate seeds), amchur (dried mango powder), ajwain (carom seeds), dried red chilies and black cardamoms are the key ingredients in this Chole Masala.

While you can buy this spice blend sold by many popular brands from any Indian stores, each differ in the depth of flavors and heat levels. Sometimes the store bought powders can also break your dish, making it too spicy with low flavors.

For a long time, I have relied on my homemade spice blend that always yields me the best results – more flavor and moderate heat. I have shared the same here but If you have a favorite brand you may use it.

Spices for chole masala powder

Traditionally to make Punjabi chole, soaked chickpeas are cooked with dried amla (Indian gooseberries) which impart the characteristic flavor and dark color to the chickpeas. Apart from that amla also helps in digestion.

Since I live outside India where dried amla is not easily available, I use tea decoction or tea bags in place of dried amla to soak and cook the chickpeas. You will be surprised to notice that tea is a big game-changer and makes your chole much much flavorsome.

My recipe is pretty simple & with minimal effort you will be able to make a pot of good Punjabi chole at home.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Chickpeas: Indian food is all about cooking everything from scratch. So we use dried chickpeas but in a pinch you can use canned. 1 cup dried chickpeas can be substituted with 2½ to 3 cups canned. If you are new to cooking with chickpeas, scroll down to find my guide to prepare chickpeas.

Whole Spices: This recipe requires whole spices like bay leaf, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon. The most important spices are the black, green cardamoms and cinnamon. On occasions I leave out the rest and don’t find any difference. Whole spices infuse more robust flavours so use them.

Ground spices: You may use my recipe to make chole masala powder for best results or use any store bought. Kashmiri red chili powder, amchur, kasuri methi are the other spices which you will require to adjust the flavors.

Similar recipes
Kadhi Recipe
Rajma recipe
Aloo Gobi
Palak Paneer

How to Make Punjabi Chole (Stepwise photos)

Soak & prepare the chickpeas

1. Add 1 cup dried chickpeas (chole) to a pot and rinse them well at least thrice. Pour 3 to 4 cups water and soak them overnight or at least for 8 hours. Longer soaking time helps in better digestion and chole turns out softer. Later drain and rinse them once with fresh water.

soaked chickpeas

2. Pour 2 cups water. Also add one tea bag or 2 pieces of amla. I prefer loose leaf tea so I make a decoction. Bring 1 cup water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon loose leaf tea (like wagh bakri) or 1 teaspoon tea dust. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off and let rest for 3 to 4 mins. Later filter the decoction to the chickpeas and pour 1 more cup water (total 2 cups). Optionally add the following spices for extra flavor:

  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cloves

If you want you may also add a pinch of baking soda so the chickpeas cook faster.

tea decoction and whole spices

3. Cook the chole till soft but not mushy. On a medium flame, I pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles (without soda) or for 2 whistles with soda. If cooking in an Instant pot (no soda), you will cook for 16 minutes in 6qt IP or for 13 to 14 mins in 3qt IP. When the pressure drops, the spices will float on top, I prefer to discard the bay leaf and cinnamon. If you use tea bag, remove that as well.

darker chole cooked in tea decoction

4. Chole must be soft cooked and not remain al dente. If they are al dente or even slightly hard, cook them again for 1 to 2 whistles. When you mash a chickpea, it must get mushy else it is undercooked.

soft cooked chickpeas

Make Chole Masala (Spice Powder)

5. You can also skip this step and use ready made chole masala. While the chole cooks, to a pan add the following:

  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 to 2 dried deseeded Kashmiri or Mathania red chili (leave out for lesser heat)
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 small black cardamom
  • 4 green cardamom
  • 4 to 8 pepper corn
  • ¾ teaspoon anardana (seeds) (or ½ teaspoon powder to add later, not here)
  • Dry roast until aromatic, add 1 small strand mace, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds. Deep roast them until aromatic & crunchy without burning. Turn off and add â…› teaspoon grated nutmeg. (picture available for reference in the intro)
roast spices to make chole masala powder

6. Cool them and add them to a grinder/blender. Add 1 to 1½ teaspoon amchur powder.

add spices to grinder

7. Grind to a fine powder. If you are using anardana powder, you may add it here.

make a fine powder

Make Onion Tomato Masala

8. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to a hot pan. Add

  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • a small piece of bay leaf
  • 2 cloves
temper spices to make punjabi chole

9. When the spices begin to sizzle in oil, add 1½ cup onions finely chopped (or 1¼ cup processed, 2 medium onions) and 1 green chili slit (optional). I prefer to fine process the onions in chopper or processor and use. You can also grate or blanch and puree.

saute onions in a pan

10. Fry on a medium heat, until the onions turn light brown and the raw smell has gone completely. Avoid frying on a high heat as the onions can taste bitter. Add ¾ to 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute on a medium heat.

saute ginger garlic paste

11. Add 1 cup tomatoes (250 grams) – chopped or processed or pureed. Saute on a medium to medium-high heat until the moisture from the tomatoes has reduced & the raw smell has gone.

tomatoes to make onion tomato masala

13. Add ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, â…› teaspoon turmeric and ¾ teaspoon salt. Also add the chole masala we made in the grinder. If using store bought chole masala powder, add

  • 1 tablespoon chole masala. (add more as you cook if you want)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (not required if using homemade spice blend)
  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala (not required if using homemade spice blend)
add ground spices

14. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the masala smells good and aromatic.

onion tomato masala

15. Add cooked chickpeas along with the chole cooked water. It will be a little over 1 cup. If you want you may use only half of this stock/water. Pour 1 cup fresh water (total 2+ cups), enough to cover the chickpeas. You will need to adjust the quantity of water as desired to make the gravy.

add dark chole to pan

16. Bring it to a rolling boil on a high heat. Cover and simmer on a low flame for 18 to 20 minutes or until the gravy thickens & reaches a desired consistency. Add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi. Taste test. Add more salt, amchur and garam masala if you want. I add about half teaspoon garam masala at this stage (I use the entire homemade spice blend in the beginning plus half teaspoon garam masala here)

cooked punjabi chole with kasuri methi

17. This is the consistency you will have. Chole tastes best after resting for at least 30 minutes.

consistency of cooked punjabi chole

18. Tadka for extra flavor and heat. Pour 1 tablespoon ghee to a small tadka pan and heat it. Slit 2 to 4 green chilies slightly in the center so they remain intact, especially the seeds. Add the chilies to the hot ghee, be careful as they can splutter (use a splatter screen if needed). Fry them on a medium heat, stirring with a small spoon, until blistered. Turn off and add half teaspoon/inch ginger juliennes. Fry and then add ¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida).

hing tadka in a pan

Pour the hot hing tadka over the chole just before serving. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve chole with bhatura or basmati rice alongside lemon & sliced onions, carrots and cucumbers.

chole recipe

Pro Tips (New!)

  • For best results, use my homemade chole masala powder and do not alter the ingredient quantities in the recipe. If you alter the quantity of onions or even tomatoes, you will lose the balance of flavors.
  • Adjust the ground spices: If using store bought spice blend, adjust the amount of chole masala powder. The store bought versions have higher amounts of red chilies & can easily make your dish too hot.
  • You can leave out garam masala, coriander powder, amchur and red chili powder to use more store bought chole masala.
  • Homemade chole masala: The homemade spice blend may look like a lot after grinding, but if you prefer lesser spices, cut down to half. I prefer to use up all of it plus half tsp garam masala at the final stage. Spices like coriander, green cardamom peels and bay leaf are just fillers and add body to your dish resulting in more gravy.
  • Loose leaf Tea vs Tea bags Vs dried amla: All the 3 work well and impart different flavors. I prefer using loose leaf tea from wagh bakri or tata gold for the depth of flavors the tea decoction provides. If you are a CHAI hater, you won’t like to hear this – but tea enhances the flavor of your Chole. So use good quality tea.
  • Soak Chickpeas in tea decoction: For years I have made this recipe by soaking the chickpeas in tea decoction and then boil them again in fresh tea decoction. But in the recent years, I found out that double the amount of tea while boiling does the same job (new update). But if you are an old reader doing that, simply divide the amount of tea – to soak and cook (half tbsp loose leaf tea or half teaspoon dust each time).

A guide to prepare chickpeas (for beginners)

  • Soak Chole: Soaking chickpeas not only helps them cook faster but also reduces the phytic acid & eases the process of digestion thereby preventing bloating and flatulence. However if you forget to soak them, place 1 cup dried chickpeas in a large bowl. Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil and pour over the chickpeas. Cover and rest them for about an hour or until fully softened. Drain the water and rinse them well before use.
  • Cook Chickpeas: It is best to use a pressure cooker to cook the chickpeas as it is hands-free and saves fuel. But they can be cooked in a pot along with ¼ teaspoon soda bi-carbonate and it takes longer – about an hour.
  • Another option is to use canned chickpeas. Drain the liquid and rinse them well under running water. It is essential for the chickpeas to be soft and fully cooked before adding to the onion tomato masala. Else they will remain hard even after cooking. If they are not soft enough boil them in 2 cups of hot water until soft and use them in the recipe along with the water.

Faqs

What is the difference between Chana and Chole?

Generally speaking, both the terms Chana and chole mean chickpeas. Chana is a Hindi word and Chole is a Punjabi word & both mean the same. But chana masala is any Indian chickpea curry and chole masala is a dish made in Punjabi style with specific spices.

Can we cook Chole without soaking?

Yes if you ever forget to soak your chole, then you can opt to give an instant soak for an hour by pouring hot boiling water over a cup of dried chickpeas placed in a large bowl. Cover and let them soften for an hour.

Can I use canned Chickpeas?

Yes you can use about 2 ½ to 3 cups of canned chickpeas. Drain the liquid in the can and use fresh water to simmer in the gravy. Also note that this recipe tastes best when made from scratch by soaking dried chickpeas & then cooking and simmering in the gravy.

Can I use garam masala instead of Chole masala?

Yes you can use garam masala. Though the recipe works and tastes good with any regular garam masala, you won’t get the flavors of Punjabi chole without a good chole masala. So consider making your own by following my notes in the recipe card.

Instant Pot Chole Recipe (Step by Step Photos)

1. Rinse and soak chana for 8 hours and drain the water. Give them a good rinse. Press saute button on your Instant pot. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to the steel insert of your instant pot. Then add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom and 1 inch piece of cinnamon.

frying spices in oil for chole recipe

3. As soon as they begin to sizzle add 1½ cup fine chopped onions & 1 green chili (optional). Begin to saute them.

adding onions to instant pot

4. Spread them evenly in the oil so they fry faster and uniformly.

sautéing onions for chole recipe

5 Saute until the onions turn golden. If the pot becomes too hot, press cancel sometime in between or switch to saute – less. Then add ¾ to 1 tablespoon ginger garlic (paste or chopped) & saute for 30 to 40 seconds.

add ginger garlic

6. Add 1 cup tomatoes (Fine chopped or pureed, 3 No) and ¾ teaspoon salt.

add tomatoes and salt

7. Saute until the tomatoes break down and become mushy.

mushy tomatoes in instant pot

8. Then add ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste) and â…› teaspoon turmeric. If you are using homemade chole masala from this post, add the entire ground spices. However if you want to use store bought powder use the following spices:

  • 1 tablespoon chole masala (ready made)
  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala (not required if using homemade ground spices)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (not required if using homemade ground spices)
  • If you do not have chole masala, replace it with another ¾ teaspoon garam masala. This is just a substitute but won’t give you the same flavors.
add spices to the onion tomato masala

9. Saute for a few minutes until onion tomato masala begins to smell good. This is a very important step so do not skip it.

saute onion tomato masala for punjabi chole

10. Next pour 2 cups water (or 1 cup water + 1 cup tea decoction). Deglaze by mixing, at the bottom of the pot with a spatula so any bits of masala stuck there will release. This also avoids burning of any food particles at the bottom.

11. Add chickpeas. Mix well and press cancel. Secure the instant pot with the lid. Position the steam release vent to sealing.

add soaked chickpeas

12. Press pressure cook button (high pressure) and set the timer to 35 minutes. If using canned chickpeas set the timer to 10 minutes instead. The IP beeps when it is done. Wait for the pressure to release naturally for 18 to 20 mins. Then open the lid.

pressure cook for 35 minutes

13. Taste test and adjust salt, garam masala or more amchur for tang if required. Press the saute button and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. If you prefer a thicker curry, take 3 to 4 tablespoons chole to another bowl and mash them very well. Transfer this back to the pot and simmer for 3 minutes.

Pour 1 tablespoon ghee, ½ inch ginger juliennes and 1 teaspoon kasuri methi. Or make a tadka, by heating 1 tablespoon ghee in a tadka pan. Slightly slit 2 to 4 green chilies with the ends and seeds intact. Fry them in the ghee until blistered, using a splatter screen. Add the ginger juliennes and turn off the heat. Add ¼ teaspoon hing. Pour this over the Chole.

add kasuri methi and ginger

14. Garnish chole with 2 tablespoons fine chopped coriander leaves and serve with bhatura, poori or naan.

instant pot punjabi chole

You can check more Instant Pot Recipes here

chole recipe made with chickpeas, spices and herbs

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

This Chole Recipe was first published in February 2013. Republished in August 2023.

chole recipe

Chole Recipe (Punjabi Chole Masala)

Chole masala is a spicy & flavorful North Indian dish made with chole aka chickpeas, spices and herbs. Serve Punjabi chole with Bhatura, Basmati rice, poori or naan. Instructions for Stovetop and Instant pot included.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Jump to Comments

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

To pressure cook chole

  • 1 cup chickpeas /chole (uncooked raw/dried or 2 – 15 oz cans)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 black tea bag (optional) or 2 dried amla or 1 tbsp loose leaf tea or ½ tsp dust
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cloves

Whole spices (optional)

  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 2 green cardamon

For gravy

  • 2 tablespoons oil or as needed
  • cup onions finely chopped or 1¼ cup processed or 1 cup pureed (2 no)
  • 1 green chili slit (optional)
  • ¾ to 1 tablespoon ginger garlic fine chopped or paste
  • 1 cup tomatoes fine chopped or pureed (3 no)
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt as needed (I use ¾ tsp pink salt)

Spice powders

  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon chole masala (refer notes to make your own)
  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • â…› teaspoon turmeric (optional)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon amchur (only if required)
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (optional)

To Temper

  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • ½ inch ginger julienne (for garnishing)
  • 2 to 4 green chilli slightly slit
  • ¼ teaspoon hing
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves (fine chopped for garnishing)


Instructions

Preparation (skip this if using canned chickpeas)

  • Add chickpeas to a pot and rinse them well, at least thrice. Pour 3 to 4 cups fresh water and soak overnight, for a minimum of 8 hours. Next morning, drain the water and rinse them well.
  • Add to a pressure cooker along with water, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black cardamom and tea bag or dried amla or tea decoction (process mentioned in the post).
  • Pressure cook until soft for 5 to 6 whistles on a medium heat. If cooking in a Instant Pot, pressure cook for 16 minutes.
  • When the pressure drops, open the lid and discard the cinnamon, bay leaf & tea bag. Chickpeas should be soft cooked and not al dente. If they are undercooked cook, longer.

How to make Punjabi Chole Masala (stovetop)

  • Heat oil in a pan, add the optional whole spices – cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms and bay leaf.
  • When they begin to sizzle, add onions and green chili. Fry them until golden on a medium heat.
  • Stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute, until it loses the raw flavor.
  • Next add tomatoes and cook on a medium high heat until they lose the moisture and raw flavor. Reduce the heat, stir in the red chili powder, turmeric and salt.
  • If using store bought chole masala, add chole masala powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder. If using homemade spice blend mentioned in the notes below, add the prepared powder (you won't add the coriander powder or garam masala).
  • Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the masala smells good.
  • Add the pressure cooked chole along with chickpeas cooked water and 1 cup more water. Mix together and add more water if needed to bring it to a gravy consistency.
  • Bring it to a rolling boil on a high heat. Cover and simmer on a low flame for about 18 to 20 minutes until the chole absorb the flavors of masala & the gravy becomes thick.
  • Mix well and taste test. Add kasuri methi, more salt, amchur or garam masala if required.

Tadka

  • Heat ghee in a small tadka pan. Fry slit green chilies until blistered (use a splatter screen), and add ginger juliennes. Turn off and add hing. Pour this hing tadka over the Chole.
  • Sprinkle coriander leaves. Serve chole with basmati rice, naan, poori or bhatura.

Instant pot chole

  • Press saute button on the IP and pour oil. When the Ip displays hot, add the spices. Then the onions and green chili.
  • Saute the onions until golden to light brown. Then add in ginger garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
  • Next add the tomatoes and salt. Saute well until they break down a bit. Stir in red chili powder and turmeric.
  • If using readymade chole masala, add chole masala powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder. If using homemade powder mentioned in the post, add the prepared powder (you won't add the coriander powder or garam masala).
  • Saute well until the raw smell of the onion and tomatoes reduces.
  • Pour 2 cups water and deglaze the pot. Then add soaked chickpeas. If you want you may add a tea bag or 1 cup decoction in place of 1 cup water.
  • Mix well and secure the IP with the lid. Position the steam release handle to sealing.
  • Press cancel. Then press pressure cook (high pressure) and set the timer for 35 mins. If using canned chickpeas, then set the timer to 10 mins.
  • When the IP is done cooking wait for 18 to 20 mins for the pressure to release naturally.
  • Then open the lid. Add ghee, ginger julienne and kasuri methi. (Or make a tadka before serving). Taste test and add more salt, amchur or garam masala if required.
  • Press saute button and cook for a few minutes.
  • To thicken the curry you can take 3 to 4 tbsps chole to a bowl and mash them well. Add to the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves.


Notes

  1. If you prefer to use onion puree, boil the cubed onions in hot water for 3 mins until transparent. Cool and make a fine puree.
  2. Chole Masala powder is the key in this recipe. If you do not have it you can also substitute it with 2 tsp garam masala and 2 tsp coriander powder. However you won’t get the same flavors.
  3. To make homemade chole powder, dry roast
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 to 2 dried Kashmiri red chilies
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 tsp cumin or jeera
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 4 to 8 pepper corn
  • 1 strand mace
  • â…› teaspoon grated nutmeg (add at the end)
  • 1 to 1½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder, to add to the grinder)

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

Watch Instant Pot Chole

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Chole Recipe (Punjabi Chole Masala)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 229 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Sodium 123mg5%
Potassium 597mg17%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 455IU9%
Vitamin C 55.4mg67%
Calcium 92mg9%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Chole Recipe (Punjabi Chole Masala)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

Follow Swasthi’s Recipes

Comments

Recipe Rating




209 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

5 stars
Swasthi’s Recipes are my holy grail and go to for Indian cooking. Every single recipe I tried so far is top notch and has impressed my Indian boyfriend and his family (not an easy thing to accomplish as a German). This chole recipe is an absolute staple in our household, probably cook this 2-3 times a months. Thank you!

5 stars
You made me love Indian food! I have tried so many recipes from your website and I am yet to find something that has failed. I made this recipe using chole masala from the Indian stores and tasted good. But how different would it be to use a homemade blend like the one in this post. I want to make it for my Indian in-laws, visiting us next month. Thank you and keep up the great work!

5 stars
Made this for New Year dinner. It tasted great but next time will up the chili powder.

5 stars
Delicious as always. Made it in the Instant pot and don’t think any packaged chole masala comes close to this homemade masala you shared here. Thank you.

5 stars
If I don’t have amchur powder what is the next alternative

5 stars
I found this recipe at your Jeera Rice recipe. I am enchanted and would love to cook them on the stovetop but I’m very intimidated by the many ingredients — I don’t have some that sound crucial to get the correct flavor (see below). Also, your directions are confusing — Idk when I’m following the stovetop directions. I have canned chickpeas so would use about 1-1/2 cans (15-16 oz per can).

Spices I don’t have: amchur, amla, black cardamom, choke masala, green chili

Surprisingly, I do have the following in my pantry: hing, methi, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, blade mace, dried Sichuan chilies (will these work?), green cardamom (I love the green cardamom so much, I grind it in my coffee grinder along with my whole coffee beans to make in my French press).

Can you help me?

5 stars
Hi wanted to know what if I wanted to add extra chole or Chana to the already cooked Chana masala curry will it make any difference in the taste.

5 stars
Thanks for the detailed recipe. This turned out fantastic. I noticed you mentioned ajwain in the introduction as part of the flavour, but not sure if it ended up in this masala. Would you still recommend to include it? If so how?

5 stars
Tried this recipe for the first time for a hearty midweek dinner and turned out fantastic! The husband’s verdict was that it was at least as good as what one can find at a Dilli restaurant!

Followed your instructions as is for the pressure cooker method. Was sceptical of adding the whole chole masala but was perfect. I skipped the garam masala and the takda as the dish was already very flavourful and well-spiced by the end.

Thank you – as always – for all your recipes! You are my go-to source for most Indian recipes, and I recommend your website to any friends/family looking for inspiration or help.

nice chole

gazab chole

5 stars
Really good and quick recipe but if very spicy can I add tamarind juice 1 teaspoon

5 stars
Every recipe I have tried from your website is a huge hit and my family never complains. This chole is one of the top-notch from your website. It tastes exactly like what you get in the best places in Delhi. The homemade masala is absolutely fantastic & I’m blown away with the aroma. Never going to use any other ready masala. I’m here to let you know we are following you and keep the recipes coming!!!

5 stars
Amazing recipe, turned out great!

5 stars
Was doubtful about 35 mins in the IP. But the chole turned out delicious. Thank you

5 stars
Hi Swathi, can I put a teabag in the hot gravy after cooking is done? Sadly I forgot but want the deep flavor..

Hi Swathi, I’ve heard some people use besan in chole in India. If we want to add it, how to do so? How would it improve the recipe (if at all)? Thanks and I tell everyone about your website.

5 stars
I made aloo chole for a small family dinner. It came out excellent and more than what I expected. Used your homemade masala and the tea for color. The tadka was excellent too. Got so many compliments. Thank you for the amazing recipe

This chole masala beats every other I made before. The ground spices are very fragrant and I have started to use it many other dishes. Thank you for posting

5 stars
Hi, can I use chana masala instead of chole masala as I already have this. Loved your mung bean curry recipe so looking forward to making this as it looks awesome. Thanks

5 stars
Love your recipes. This is my favorite chole recipe and make it often in the Ip. Such a comfort food with rice.