Achari Chole
on May 23, 2022, Updated Nov 24, 2023
Achari Chole is an Indian curry where chickpeas are cooked in spicy and tangy curry flavored with pickling spices. Here is how to make these.
Here are some more chole recipes that you may like: Punjabi Chole, Palak Chole, Aloo Chole.
About Achari Chole
Achari Chole is a spicy and tangy North Indian curry recipe in which chickpeas are cooked with onions, tomatoes, and achari masala (an Indian pickling spice mix).
This curry is easy to make, delicious, and comes together quickly.
Serve it for weekday meals and brunches, or pack it for a lunch box with poori, paratha, or steamed rice and sliced onions.
Ingredients
For Achari Masala
Achari Masala is a mix of spices used to make Indian-style pickles.
I like to make my pickle masala at home as it tastes the best. To make it, you will need brown mustard seeds, whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds (saunf), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), nigella seeds (kalonji), carom seeds (ajwain), and dry red chilies.
You can check out my detailed Achari Masala Powder recipe here.
If you are short on time, you can even use store-bought masala.
For The Curry
To make the achari chole curry, you will need mustard oil, dry chickpeas (chole), onions, ginger garlic paste, fresh tomatoes, spice powders like roasted cumin powder, dry mango powder (amchoor), Kashmiri red chili powder, salt, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
I recommend using mustard oil for this recipe, as it adds a pungent taste that complements the other flavors of the curry well. If it’s not available, you can use any cooking oil.
For that extra pickle flavor, add a little masala from the ready pickle to the curry. It is optional but adds a great flavor. I prefer masala from a mango pickle, but you can use any pickle you have handy at home.
How To Make Achari Chole
Cook The Chickpeas
Wash 1 cup dry chickpeas and soak them in 3-4 cups of water for 6-8 hours.
Drain the water and rinse the chickpeas with fresh water once again.
Add the chickpeas to a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water and 2 teaspoon salt.
Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid of the cooker and set it aside.
Note – You can also cook the soaked chickpeas in an instant pot. Add them to an instant pot with water and salt. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, do a 10-minute NPR followed by QPR. Open the lid and set aside.
Make Achari Masala
Add the following. ingredients to a pan and dry roast over medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant. Stir frequently while roasting.
- 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- ½ tsp carom seeds
- 2-3 whole red chilies
Remove the pan from the heat and let the ingredients cool down for 10 minutes.
Add the ingredients to a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder.
Make The Curry
Heat 4 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add 2 cups of chopped onions and cook till the onions are pink (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and cook until the onions are golden brown (5-6 minutes).
Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute.
Now, add the following ingredients and mix well.
- achari masala
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon dry mango powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
Fry the masala for about 2 minutes, till oil starts coming on the pan’s sides.
Now, add a little water if required.
Add the cooked chickpeas and the water in which they were cooked to the pan.
Add 1 more cup of water and mix well.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon masala from the pickle and cook for another minute.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve hot.
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Achari Chole Recipe
Ingredients
For Achari Masala
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (sarson)
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds (dhania)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 2-3 whole red chilies
For The Curry
- 1 cup dry chickpeas (chole)
- 4 tablespoons mustard oil (or any cooking oil)
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons dry mango powder (amchoor)
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon masala from ready pickle
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Cook The Chickpeas
- Wash the chickpeas and soak them in 3-4 cups of water for 6-8 hours.
- Drain the water and rinse the chickpeas with fresh water once again.
- Add the chickpeas to a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water and 2 teaspoon salt.
- Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid of the cooker and set it aside.
- Note – You can also cook the soaked chickpeas in an instant pot. Add them to an instant pot with water and salt. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, do 10 minute NPR followed by QPR. Open the lid and set aside.
Make Achari Masala
- Dry roast the ingredients to make achari masala in a pan over medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant. Stir frequently while roasting.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the ingredients cool down for 10 minutes.
- Add the ingredients to a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder.
Make The Curry
- Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add onions and cook till the onions are pink in color (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook until onions are golden brown in color (5-6 minutes).
- Add tomatoes and cook for a minute.
- Add the achari masala, roasted cumin powder, dry mango powder, salt, and Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Cook the masala for about 2 minutes, till oil starts to come on the sides of the pan.
- Add little water if required.
- Add the cooked chickpeas along with the water in which they were cooked to the pan.
- Add 1 cup of water and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Add masala from pickle and cook for another minute.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Made this today. Enjoyed it with your dahi poori. Different from the regular punjabi chhole but very tasty nevertheless. Will make again
Thanks 🙂
I’ve never heard of this dish before, which is a real shame because it looks and sounds super delicious! New food/recipe to try – check! 🙂
Do give it a try Meg. I am sure you will love it.