Meals · Punjab

Dry Chana Masala

Punjabi sookhe chole: dark, tangy chickpeas tossed in a thick roasted masala with amchur and anardana until every one is coated. Made for bhature, kulcha or a pile of sliced onions.

Dry Chana Masala

Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min · Total 65 min + 8 hr soaking · Serves 4

Ingredients

Chickpeas

  • 1 cup Dried chickpeas (kabuli chana)
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 Black tea bag
  • 2 Black cardamom
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 tsp Salt

Masala

  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 2 Onions, finely chopped
  • 1 inch Ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
  • 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
  • 3 Green chillies, slit
  • 2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 ½ tsp Amchur (dried mango powder)
  • 1 tsp Anardana powder
  • ½ tsp Black salt

To finish

  • 3 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 Lemon, cut in wedges
  • 1 Small onion, sliced into rings

Method

  1. Soak. Rinse the chickpeas and soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. They will roughly double in size.
  2. Pressure cook. Drain and put them in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of fresh water, the tea bag, black cardamom, bay leaf and salt. Cook for 5 to 6 whistles (about 20 minutes) until a chickpea crushes easily between two fingers. Throw away the tea bag and whole spices and drain, keeping 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
  3. Build the masala. Heat the oil in a wide kadai and crackle the cumin. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until deep golden brown. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies for a minute, then the tomatoes. Cook until they melt down and the oil separates.
  4. Add the dry spices. Turn the heat low and stir in the coriander, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric. Splash in 2 tbsp of the cooking water so they don't scorch and fry for 2 minutes.
  5. Toss the chickpeas. Tip in the chickpeas and the rest of the reserved water. Mash a handful against the side of the pan to thicken. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the liquid is gone and the masala clings to the chickpeas.
  6. Finish. Sprinkle over the garam masala, amchur, anardana and black salt and toss for a minute. Scatter with coriander and serve with lemon wedges and onion rings.

Tips

The tea bag is the old Punjabi trick for the near-black colour of dhaba chole; it adds no real tea flavour. Brown the onions properly, as the dark colour and depth come from them too.