Chole / Chana Masala ( Chickpea Gravy )

Chole , also known as chickpeas or garbanzo beans or kabuli chana is used to make this extremley tasty dish, chole masala or chana masala. This is a very popular dish in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, especially in Punjab.
This is the best side dish for puris or bhaturas or even rice.
You can get the dry chickpeas in any Indian grocery store which need to be soaked overnight.
Alternatively, I sometimes use the canned garbanzo beans when I am in a hurry and I do not have time to soak them overnight.
So here is the recipe for this delicacy:

Ingredients:

• Chole (kabuli Chana ) -  1 cup
• Tea Bags -2 ( optional )
• Cloves - 3
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Green Cardamom - 4-5
• Bay Leaves - 2
• Pomegranete Seeds ( anardana ) - 1 tsp
• Onion - 2 medium
• Tomato Puree - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 2-3
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin - Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chole Masala - 1 tsp ( store bought )
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Baking Soda - a pinch ( optional )

For Tempering :

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Slit Green Chillies - 2 ( deseeded )
• Ginger - 1 inch  ( cut into juliennes )
• Carom Seeds ( Ajwain ) - 1/2 tsp

Directions :

• Wash and soak chole or kabuli chana in enough water overnight.
• In a pressure cooker, add soaked chana, with aound 4 cups of water, tea bags, and baking soda and cook for around 30 minutes till the chickpeas are soft and cooked. Press one chole in between your fingers to test if they are done. You should be able to squeeze it easily.
• Tea bags are totally optional. The only purpose of those is to add color to the chole. And the purpose of baking soda is to cook chole a little faster. You can avoid it, if you don't like it.
• In a pot, heat oil, add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms and cloves. Saute for a few seconds.
• In a grinder, coarsely grind chopped onions, green chillies and anardana. Add this paste to the pot. Saute till onions mixtue is cooked.
• Add garlic paste, ginger paste. Keep stirring till the raw flavour of ginger, garlic are gone.
• Add tomato puree and cook covered till the mixture oozes oil. Keep stirring.
• Add all the dry powders ( red chili powder, garam masala, cumin- coriander powder , salt, turmeric and chole masala ). Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Discard the tea bags from the boiled chole and add the chole along with the left over water in cooker.
• Cook covered on medium heat for about 20 minutes, till the chole is very tender. Mash few of the chole with the back of the laddle. This will thicken the gravy.
• For tempering, heat ghee in a small pan, add carom seeds, green chillies, ginger juliennes. Saute for just 15-20 seconds and pour it over the chole and give it a mix.
• Serve hot with puri or bhatura or steamed basmati rice.

Note:  Adjust amount of water according to your choice. I like it more watery if I eat with rice. I like it with less water if I eat with puri or bhatura.