Malai Chole Recipe (Creamy Chickpea Curry)

A bowl of creamy, orange-colored Malai Chole curry is garnished with a swirl of cream and herbs, with a piece of crispy poori resting on the rim. The bowl sits on a rustic tray with scattered chickpeas nearby.

No ratings yet

Malai Chole Recipe (Creamy Chickpea Curry)

Malai Chole is a rich, creamy, and mildly spiced, chole curry perfect for a comforting dinner or a special weekend meal. Make it using my easy recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

4 tablespoons oil divided
2-3 cloves (laung)
1 inch cinnamon
1 cup chopped red onions
½ cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
2 tablespoons cashews
2-3 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
½ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiled chickpeas
1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add cloves and cinnamon and sauté for 2-3 seconds.
Add onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, cashews, and dried red chilies, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down for 10 minutes. Transfer the onion-tomato mixture to a blender along with ½ cup of water.
Blend until smooth.
Heat 2 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add Kashmiri red chili powder and saute for 2-3 seconds.
Add the onion and tomato paste to the pan. Stir in yogurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt.

You can also add 1 tablespoon of chana masala powder at this stage for an even more flavorful curry.

Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until the oil starts to separate on the sides of the pan. Stir a few times when cooking.
Mix in the boiled chickpeas and ½ cup of water. Cover and cook for 10–15 minutes.

Mash a few chickpeas with the back of the ladle. It naturally thickens gravy.

Add Kasuri methi, heavy cream, and butter. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add some hot water if the curry is too thick for your liking. Check for salt and add more if needed.

Do not boil aggressively after adding cream; this keeps the texture silky.

Serve hot.

Notes

You can either soak and cook dried chickpeas in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, or use canned chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, make sure to drain and rinse them.

You can add some cubed paneer for extra richness.

Nutrition