Chholey
2015-02-03- Cuisine: Indian
- Course: Main Course, Side Dishes
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Yield : 500 gms
- Servings : 6-7
- Prep Time : 15m
- Cook Time : 40m
- Ready In : 55m
Chholey. Eat them with Bhatura or Poori, or serve them with Aloo tikki, or just take a bowl ful and eat them as a pre-meal snack. There are a lot of ways of making chholey, but this is how I like and make them and enjoy with Bhature. The left over Chholey are used over Aloo Tikkis the next day. Nothing goes waste!
Ingredients
- Kabuli Chana (Chickpeas) 200 gms
- Black Cardmom -1
- Cloves 4-5
- Cumin - 1 Tsp
- Cinnamon stick -1
- Bay leaf
- Red chili powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
- Red chilli powder 1 Tsp
- Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
- Onion - 4 large, chopped finely
- Tomatoes 3 boiled, skinned and pureed
- Tomato puree -2 Tbsp
- Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Green chili -1 tsp (finely chopped) [Optional]
- Oil 2-3 Tbsp
- Salt as per taste
Method
Step 1
Wash Kabuli Chana and soak them overnight (they need atleast 7-8 hours to soak well) in water.
Step 2
Boil the soaked chana with Salt and bay leaf. This takes about 20 minutes in pressure cooker.
Step 3
In a pan heat oil, add cumin, cloves, black cardamom and cinnamon stick. Add chopped green chilly and tip in the onions and fry for a few seconds before adding Ginger and garlic paste. Fry well so that the raw smell goes away. Add turmeric, coriander powder and red chilli powder and fry for a few seconds.
Step 4
Tip in the pureed tomatoes and tomato puree. Fry till the oil separates, and add garam masala. Let the masala fry and simmer for about 5-7 minutes and add the boiled chickpeas to the masala. Mix well and let the prepared Chholey simmer for about 10 minutes (stir frequently during this period) before taking it off heat).
Step 5
Garnished with green coriander and serve.
Chickpeas: The main ingredient of Chholey
There are three main kinds of chickpea.
Desi has small, darker seeds and a rough coat. It is grown mostly in India and other parts of the Indian Subcontinent, as well as in Ethiopia, Mexico, and Iran. Desi means ‘country’ or ‘local’ in Hindustani; its other names include Bengal gram or kala chana (“black chickpea” in both Hindi and Urdu) or chhola boot. Desi is probably the earliest variety because it closely resembles seeds found both on archaeological sites and the wild plant ancestor Cicer reticulatum of domesticated chickpeas, which only grows in southeast Turkey, where it is believed to have originated. Desi chickpeas have a markedly higher fiber content than other varieties, and hence a very low glycemic index, which may make them suitable for people with blood sugar problems. The desi type is used to make chana dal, which is a split chickpea with the skin removed.
Chickpeas and Bengal grams are used to make curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods in the Indian Subcontinent and in diaspora communities of many other countries. Popular dishes in Indian cuisine are made with chickpea flour, such as Mirchi Bajji and Mirapakaya bajji Telugu. In India, as well as in the Levant, unripe chickpeas are often picked out of the pod and eaten as a raw snack and the leaves are eaten as a green vegetable in salads.
Source: Wikipedia
