Chole, is a hearty vegetarian North Indian curry made with chickpeas simmered in a tangy spiced onion-tomato gravy. It's a dish you'll find everywhere from roadside dhabas to festive spreads, always served with bhatura or rice. It can be made in under an hour in an Instant Pot and meal prepped for the week!
My mom has been making this Chole recipe for over two decades! She makes it same exact way, every dang time. The only difference is that she used to make it in a manual pressure cooker, and now she makes it in her handy dandy Instant Pot, which is an electric pressure cooker.
No more having mom leave the house in the middle of making chole and panicking when being asked to open the pressure cooker after the second seethe (the hissing noise)!
I asked her, "Mom, what makes your Chole so special?" while my entire family was together for Christmas. From the kitchen, I heard my sister-in-law say, "well, it tastes better than anyone else's." Her authentic Chole is always in highest demand at potlucks. She'll would even freeze it and send it home with us when we visited.
If you have even more chickpeas, definitely try out Kala Chana Masala, Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Sandwiches, or Chickpea Fries!
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Why this Recipe Works
If I ever want a homey, comforting meal then I always turn to Chole. It's a no-brainer and I have the ingredients on hand in my fridge and pantry. Here's why you'll love it:
- Simple pantry ingredients - Everything is common to Indian cooking! The only fresh ingredients you need are yellow onion, ginger, and garlic. You can use canned chickpeas instead of dried chickpeas and it'll cut down on cook time.
- Make it your way - A one pot recipe that can be made in the Instant Pot, stovetop pressure cooker, or Dutch oven-all instructions included.
- Meal prep friendly - Chole Masala thickens and deepens in flavor as it sits, making it perfect for leftovers and freezing.
- Chole is naturally a vegan dish, but you can finish it with ghee to make it especially rich.
- This recipe doesn't require tamarind paste to achieve tang or black tea bags for a rich, dark color.
What is Chole?
Punjabi Chole is a North Indian curry made out of chickpeas, onion, tomato, and spices. It's plant-based and packed with protein, making it a popular recipe. The chickpeas are slow-cooked in a pressure cooker so the curry is incredibly flavorful and hearty.
It's traditionally served on its own with giant bhatures (puffed fried bread), known as Chole Bhature. You can also find it served as a street food around Punjab and New Delhi! My favorite stand in Malviya Nagar, Delhi tops it with shredded paneer. It's also served as the base of aloo tikki chaat and Samosa Chaat.
Sometimes my mom adds leftovers to pasta with marinara sauce which is surprisingly so good! Chole is one of my favorite dishes ever, and it's made for special occasions in my household or when we're in a good mood. I also love ordering it at a restaurant that serves it with gigantic bhatures! It makes it such a fun meal.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
- Chickpeas - Preferably, use dried chickpeas for the best texture. This does require a soaking time, so plan ahead. Otherwise, canned chickpeas works as well.
- Chana Masala Spice Blend - To let you in on a little secret, no desi these days uses just their spices to make curries. We rely heavily on pre-made mixes from brands like MDH, Shan, and Git. Before you make this recipe, grab the MDH Chana Masala or the Everest mix. It's the one my mom uses and it completely enhances the curry, and so easily!
- Seeds - Fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds are tempered in oil to start off this delicious curry.
- Spices - In addition to the MDH. or Everest Chana Masala, we adjust the Chole with more ground spices. Namely garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, and coriander.
- Dried chilis - Dried red chilis are added to this curry to rehydrate as it's cooked and subtly lend more spice to the Chole.
- Tomato paste - Most curries start off with just a bit of tomato. However, Chole doesn't have a concentrated tomato flavor and needs just a bit of paste for a thick gravy.
- Ginger Garlic Paste - This paste is made with half ginger and half garlic. It's blended into a paste with a bit of oil. You can add freshly grated garlic and ginger instead.
Add a black tea bag while cooking the chickpeas for a darker color. It doesn't add flavor, just a rich, restaurant-style look.
How to make Authentic Punjabi Chole
Start the Chole by soaking the dried chickpeas. Some dried chickpeas may have stones, so you'll want to remove them if you see any.
If you're making Chole for lunch the next day, soak the chickpeas overnight. Otherwise, soak them for 4-6 hours before dinner. Over soaking chickpeas will make them super hard, so don't forget about them. When you soak the chickpeas, make sure they're in a large bowl because they retain a lot of water and expand.
You can also used canned chickpeas here. Drain the canned chickpeas of the aquafaba. Wash the chickpeas several times before adding them to the curry.
Instant Pot and Manual Pressure Cooker Instructions
- Toast the aromatics. Set the Instant Pot on sauté. Pour the oil and ghee (optional) into the pressure cooker and then each aromatic starting with the seeds - cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and mustard seeds. Once they begin popping, add the dried whole chili peppers, minced garlic, ginger, and diced onion. Sauté until the onions are browned.
- Temper the spices. Add the ground spices - turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder, and chana masala. Mix them to coat the onion and allow them to temper in the oil for about a minute.
- Make the gravy. Once the spices have tempered, add the tomato paste with about 2 tablespoons of water and mix it really well into the spices. This will form a loose gravy. Simmer it for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. You're looking for the oil to start separating to know when it's done.
- Cook. Wash the chickpeas a few times and pour them into the pressure cooker. Mix them well into the gravy and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then, pour 3 cups of water into the pot. Stir it really well. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to bean/chili mode for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the lid from the Instant Pot. For a pressure cooker, wait for 5 whistles (about 40 minutes). Use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas a few times. This helps thicken up the curry. Allow the curry to rest for about 10 minutes.
Note: Many recipes suggest adding two tea bags to the curry to make it darker. While this is a great trick, it's ultimately unnecessary for this recipe.
Stovetop Instructions
- Follow the same steps for soaking the chickpeas overnight.
- In a Dutch oven, add soaked chickpeas, 5 cups water, 1 bay leaf, 1 black cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, and salt. Simmer 60-75 minutes until tender (cover partially). Skim foam as needed. Discard whole spices and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.
- Make the onion-tomato masala as above, then combine with the chickpeas. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes, letting flavors meld.
- Finish with garam masala, amchur, and cilantro.
Serving Instructions
Serve Chole warm, garnished with chopped cilantro. Other great accompaniments are aachar, raw red onion slices for crunch, and lemon wedges. If it's especially spicy, a side of dahi or boondi raita are going to be lifesavers that cool you off.
Punjabi Chole is most popularly served with bhature or poori for a hearty brunch. Leftover Chole is great to enjoy with rice the next day for a quick lunch or as a base for Samosa Chaat.
Expert Tips and Tricks
My mom has made Chole at least once a month my entire life. It's a family favorite!!
- Use a potato masher or fork to mash up the chickpeas a bit which thickens the curry.
- Don't rush the bhuna. Onions and tomatoes need to cook until oil separates for depth of flavor
- For a dark, deeper brown hue color you can add decaf black tea bags. It won't change the flavor of the curry.
- Use dried chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas to reduce the cook time. There is a trade off with texture, though.
- Once you remove the lid, remove the curry from heat and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Storage Instructions
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Freeze for up to 2 months in silicone trays and then transfer them to Ziploc bags; thaw and simmer before serving.
- The base onion-tomato masala can be made ahead and frozen separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes-many North Indian households make Jain versions using asafoetida (hing) and extra ginger.
Chana masala and chole are both made with chickpeas. Chana masala is tangy and a drier mix of spices with regional differences with a base of tomatoes. Punjabi chole is a classic slow-cooked curry several aromatics and an onion-tomato based gravy. It's typically served with bhatura or rice.
Old chickpeas take much longer to cook. Add a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water or pressure cook longer.
Valid question! Here are a few reasons we stick to dried chickpeas:
They're cheaper than the canned variety. Dried chickpeas have a stronger flavor, have a better texture, and low in sodium. Soaking the dried chickpeas means a quicker cook time.
Chickpeas release phytic acid - an anti-nutrient that prevents our bodies from benefitting from the nutrients of the bean - when soaked in water. Soaking the beans helps our bodies reap the benefits of the nutrients and reduces the risk of gas and bloating after soaking the chickpeas.
More Curries to try
Recipe
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Chole (Indian Chickpea Curry)
Ingredients
- ½ lb dried chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 whole dried red Indian chilis
- 2 in piece of ginger, grated
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chana masala
- salt, to taste
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 3 cups water, (+ 3 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon ghee, to finish (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in twice the amount of water for 4-6 hours maximum or overnight.
- Turn the Instant Pot on the sauté mode and heat neutral oil. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and mustard seeds.
- Once the cumin and mustard seeds begin popping, add the diced onion, ginger, garlic, whole chili peppers and fry until the onions turn light brown.
- Mix the turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder, chana masala, salt to taste with the onions. Allow the spices to temper in the oil for a minute.
- Add the tomato paste with 2-3 tablespoons of water. The gravy will be pretty loose to start off with. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the oil separates on the sides and the mixture has darkened in color.
- Wash the chickpeas a few times and drain it. Pour the chickpeas into the gravy and toss it until the chickpeas are well coated. Cover the chickpeas with 3 cups of water.
- Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set it to the bean/chili mode. Cook for 45 minutes.
- Uncover the Instant Pot. With a potato masher, mash the chickpeas 5-6 times to thicken up the gravy. Allow the chickpeas to rest with the lid slightly uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve warm with cilantro and a bit of ghee over rice or with bhature.
Notes
- Skip the ghee or use vegan butter to make this recipe vegan.
- Used canned chickpeas instead of soaking dried chickpeas overnight and cut down on cook time.
- Chole can also be made on the stovetop. Complete the same steps above in a large pot, and simmer the chole for one hour covered. Be sure to stir to stir every now and then and check for a thickened curry and soft chickpeas.
Tabatha says
If I want to use canned chickpeas what would I cut the time down to? Thank you and best regards.
Shweta Garg says
You can cut it down to 20 minutes.
Ann says
If I want to add the tea bags, when do I add them?
Shweta says
You can add the tea bags when you’re adding the water before pressure cooking.
Cassie says
This recipe is awesome!!! Love the flavor and texture, don't skip the dried chickpeas!
Renu Gupta says
Very nice 👍