Pindi Chana/Chole (Tangy and Spicy Chickpeas)

Pindi Chana is a chickpea dish coated with light gravy. This goes really well with Kulcha. I found the recipe at MM’s Kitchen Bites. Eversince I tried this out, this has moved on to my favourite list.
According to MM, this dish tastes the best when prepared in a cast iron wok.


Pindi Chana/Chole (Tangy and Spicy Chickpeas)
Pindi Chana is a chickpea dish coated with light gravy. This goes really well with Kulcha. This dish tastes the best when prepared in a cast iron wok.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chick peas
- 1 Bayleaf
- 2 - 3 Clove
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 4 - 5 Black peppercorns
- to taste Salt
- as required Water
For the Spice Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Pomegranate seeds (Anardana)
- 2 teaspoons Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 4 - 5 Cloves
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 10 - 12 Black peppercorns
For Tempering
- 2 tablespoons Ginger Jullienned
- 3 - 4 green chillies Slit
Instructions
- Soak the chick peas overnight or 8 hours.
- Drain the water and pour fresh water.
- Add the bayleaf, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon,peppercorns and salt and cook till done. Make sure that the chickpeas are cooked but firm. We do NOT want it to be mushy.
- Discard the whole spices once the chick peas is cooked.
- Drain and keep the liquid aside for further use.
- Dry roast the ingredients of spice powder till brown in colour. The air will be filled with the aroma of the spices. Switch off heat and cool.
- Grind to a fine powder and keep aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil to a smoking point.
- Immediately pour over the cooked chickpeas.
- Tip in the powdered spice and mix well. Keep aside.
- Heat 1- 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the ginger and green chillies for a minute.
- Remove them and keep aside.
- In the same oil, tip in the chickpeas and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Make sure that the spice powder doesn't get burnt.
- Pour the liquid (in which the chickpeas was cooked). Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once you achieve the consistency to your liking, switch off heat.
- Garnish with the fried ginger, green chillies and sliced onion.
- Serve hot with Kulchas or any Indian bread of your choice.