Punjabi Chole Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)

Punjabi Chole Masala 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 pressure cooker or instant pot.

Here are some more chole recipes that you may like – Palak Chole, Achari Chole, Amritsari Chole, Chana Masala, and Chana Madra.

Jump to:

• About Punjabi Chole Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)
• Health Benefits Of Chickpeas
• Ingredients
• How To Make Chole Masala
• Pro Tips By Neha
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Punjabi Chole Masala (Indian Chickpea Curry)

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

It is a must-make dish for all Indian weddings, parties, and get-togethers. Chole Bhature 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 masala is listed on the menu of most Indian restaurants and although you can order them from outside, the taste of homemade chole is unmatchable.

My recipe to make this Punjabi chole masala is one-pot, uses basic ingredients, and comes together in under 30 minutes. 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. You can also scale it easily. Double or triple it if making it for a crowd. Just make sure to use a bigger pressure cooker or instant pot if scaling it.

Health Benefits Of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a good source of plant-based protein and contain high levels of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

They are also low in calories and have a low glycemic index, making them a good choice for people with diabetes.

Chickpeas have been shown to improve blood sugar control, cholesterol levels, and bowel function.

Additionally, they may help protect against some types of cancer.

Ingredients

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

Chickpeas – I make this recipe using dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans). The chickpeas are soaked and then cooked in the masala making them flavorful from within.

Black Tea (Chai Patti) – This is the trick to getting dark-colored chickpea curry

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

Whole Spices – You will need some whole spices such as cloves, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, and cinnamon. 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 chole masala 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 tamarind paste once the chole are 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, baking soda, and salt.

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 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 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, and a 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 fry 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 fry for 2 minutes.

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, and 1 teaspoon anardana powder, and fry 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, and 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.

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 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

Lightly crush 2-3 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 2-3 green cardamoms, and a 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle.

Press SAUTE mode of the instant pot.

Add 5 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pot.

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

Add 1 cup of grated onions and fry until they turn golden brown in color, stirring frequently (8-10 mins). Splash a little water if the paste sticks at the bottom of the instant pot.

Add 2 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.

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

Add 2 tablespoon of chole masala, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, and 1 teaspoon anardana powder, and fry 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, and 1 cup of plain water to the cooker and stir gently.

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 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 Chole 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), and 1 teaspoon ginger juliennes and fry for 10-12 seconds. 

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

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 overboil 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.

If using canned chickpeas to make this curry, prepare the masala as mentioned in the recipe in a regular pan. Add the canned chole and cook the curry for 10-15 minutes on low heat uncovered. Adjust the quantity of water as needed. For 1 cup of dry chole, you will need 2 cans of canned chickpeas.

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 it with Tawa Paratha, Laccha 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 a chaat.

Storage Suggestions

Punjabi Chole Masala 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 while heating, 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 heat.

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