Friday 13 November 2015

Cholle Bhature (Chana Masala) Chickpeas curry Recipe


PREP TIME-9 hours
COOK TIME-30 mins

TOTAL TIME-9 hours 30 mins
INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)
for pressure cooking the chickpeas:

  • 1 cup dried white chickpeas/kabuli chana or 180 grams of dried white chickpeas
  • 3 cups water for pressure cooking the chana
  • ½ tsp salt
  • for roasting the masala:
  • ¾ to 1 cup fresh grated coconut
  • 1 inch cinnamon/dal chini
  • ½ tbsp fennel/saunf
  • ½ tbsp cumin seeds/jeera
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds/sabut dhania
  • 2 dry red chilies (3 or 4 chilies would make the dish spicy)
  • 2-3 cloves/lavang
  • 1 black cardamom/badi elachi
  • 2 green cardamom/chotti elachi
  • 4 to 5 whole black pepper
  • 1 small piece of stone flower/dagad phool (optional)
  • other ingredients:
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 1 small bay leaf/tej patta
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds/rai
  • 10-12 curry leaves/kadi patta
  • 1 green chili, slit
  • 50 grams onion, 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup chopped onion
  • 80 grams tomatoes, 1 medium tomato or just about ½ cup chopped tomato
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • ¼ or ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
  • a pinch of asafoetida/hing
  • ½ inch ginger + 2-3 garlic - crushed or made into a paste in mortar-pestle, about 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 cup stock or stock+water
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
  • salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS
cooking the chickpeas:

  • first rinse the 1 cup chana/dried chickpeas for a couple of times in water. then soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
  • drain the water. rinse the chanas again for a couple of times.
  • again drain and add the soaked chanas in a pressure cooker.
  • add ½ tsp salt. add 3 cups water.
  • stir and pressure cook the chana for 18 to 20 whistles on medium to high flame.
  • if cooking in a pot, then add about 3.5 to 4 cups water with salt to the chickpeas. cover and cook the chickpeas till they softened.

preparing the masala:

  • when the chickpeas are cooking, in a pan or skillet, on a low flame dry roast the spices mentioned under the "roasting the masala" list, till they become fragrant. roast all spices except coconut.
  • then add ½ cup tightly packed grated coconut to the spices and begin to roast.
  • stir continuously while roasting the coconut, so that there is uniform browning.
  • roast till the coconut become golden. remove the pan and allow the this mixture to cool.
  • once the coconut-spice mixture is cooled, add them to wet grinder. remove the husk from the black cardamom and just add its seeds in the grinder.
  • add ⅔ to ¾ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.
  • preparing the chana masala gravy or curry:
  • heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan.
  • add ½ tsp mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
  • then add tejpatta and stir.
  • add ⅓ cup chopped onion.
  • stir and saute till the onions turn translucent and soften.
  • then add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, ¼ tsp turmeric power, a pinch of asafoetida and 10-12 curry leaves.
  • stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic disappears.
  • add ½ cup chopped tomato. saute for about 2 to 3 minutes till the tomatoes soften.
  • add the ground masala paste. stir very well.
  • then add the drained chanas. stir again well and saute for a minute.
  • now add 1 cup stock or stock+water and 1 or 2 slit green chilies.
  • season with salt as required. do keep a check on salt as the stock already has salt.
  • give a boil and then simmer for 12-15 minutes on a low to medium flame or more till the gravy thickens a bit and you see some oil floating on top. mash a few chickpeas with the sides of the spoon to thicken the gravy. check the seasoning and add more salt as per your taste.
  • switch off the flame & lastly add 2 tbsp coriander leaves. stir well.
  • serve chana masala hot with pooris, chapatis, bread or steamed rice accompanied with lemon & onion slices.













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