Pindi Chana, Pindi Chole, How to make Pindi Chole Recipe

Today I am sharing Pindi Chana – Indian Spiced Chickpeas. Chole means nothing but chickpeas. Pindi Chana comes from City Rawalpindi now present in Pakistan.  This recipe has got a lot of variations. I have adapted this recipe from vegrecipesofindia.com . Dassana has some great Chole and Veg Recipes on her blog do check her blog out. Although I have tweaked this recipe a little bit by adding anardana powder, some greens and some spices here and there. Lemme tell you this dish will leave burst of flavors on your taste buds, will tempt you to eat more and will get over very soon. I am thankful to vegrecipesofindia.com to share this awesome recipe.

I had guests at my place hence I made fish fry, pindi chana, bhendi masala and dal fry. You won’t believe all the veggies got over. Pindi chana got special appreciation. In the original dish no greens were used so I added a dash of mint leaves for the color, flavor and zest to pindi chana.

My hubby loves choles so I am experimenting more on it. I am planning to make Punjabi Chole tonight with Hot Aloo Parathas, Yogurt with some fried kerala papads. Looking forward for dinner tonight. Just can’ wait my mouth is watering already. I am sure your’s too 😉 😉

Hmmm I love to cook and love to eat. Guess that’s my hobby I also love if someone else cooks for me which is not possible post marriage (: huh. Anyways once in a while to be honest I need break from cooking so I go out to eat during weekends. But otherwise I am very moody sometimes I can just cook on and on without getting tired. Sometimes I am real passionate about things guess one of the features of Scorpion sign.

The other variation you can try with this pindi chana recipe is. You can squeeze lime juice, some crushed  papdi Or puris, some chopped chilies-onion, some coriander leaves. Now eat them as Chana Chat! The best part of this Pindi Chana dish is you don’t have to chop anything. Just use ready masalas and you are sorted. I was quite happy as I was really feeling lazy to chop any veggies. Thankfully this dish didn’t require me to cut any. It’s quite simple even bachelors can make them to impress their loved ones 🙂 Check out some other Chole recipes first one is Amritsari Chole Bhature and the last one is Indian Chole Masala.

Let’s make Pindi Chana step by step:

1. Very important soak chickpeas overnight in water. Boil chickpeas with the spices mentioned above. Pressure cook until 4 whistles Or until tender.

Pindi Chana – Indian Spiced Chickpeas

 

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Prep time

8 hours 20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

8 hours 30 mins

 

Pindi Chana a traidtional recipe hails from North India and easy to make.

Author: Maria

Recipe type: meals, side starter

RecipeCuisine: Indian, Punjabi

recipeIngredient (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

Boiling Chana:

• 250 gms chole/ white chickpeas/ garbanzo beans
• 3 to 4 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks of one inch each
• 2 black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 2 bay leaves
• 7 to 8 black pepper
• 2 dagadphool (stone flower Or lichen)
• ½ mace (javitri)
• 2 tea bags
• 2 to 3 tbsp salt/black salt

For tempering chana:

• 2 tbsp refined oil ( I used sunflower oil)
• 3 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp caraway seed (shahi jeera)
• 1 t/s sugar
• ½ t/s red chili powder (you can put more if more spice required)
• 2 tbsp coriander powder (dhaniya)
• 1 t/s turmeric
• a pinch of asofoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp garam masala powder
• 2 to 3 tbsp chole masala powder ( I used Badshah brand)
• 1 t/s dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1 tbsp chat masala
• 1 tbsp dry pomegranate seed powder (anardana)
• 1 tbsp fennel seed powder
• few chopped mint leaves
• ½ lime juice
• salt/ black salt as per taste

How to make the recipe?

1. Very important soak chickpeas overnight in water. Boil chickpeas with the spices mentioned above. Pressure cook until 4 whistles Or until tender.
2. Drain the water from chickpeas. Discard the tea bags and all spices.
3. Tempering Pindi Chana:
4. Take a small pan Or vessel. Add oil to it. Keep on low heat. Once oil is hot add caraway seeds and sugar. Saute for 30 secs. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring. Watch out it might just spill over you.
5. After a minute add all the powdered spices from number 5 to 14 except chat masala. Add few mint leaves as well. Stir all nicely for a minute.
6. Now add boiled chickpeas to it. Combine all nicely. Add salt for seasoning.
7. Allow this to cook for another 5 to 7 mins on low heat. Lastly add chat masala and stir nicely.
8. Just taste and check if seasoning required. Add more salt Or spices if required. Switch off the gas. Before serving squeeze some lime juice. Serve pindi chana hot with rotis, purees Or parathas.

Notes

1. You could use the same recipe for all kinds of chanas / beans.
2. Adding tea bags or amla gives nice color so do add them while boiling chole.
3. If red chili powder isn't available you could use red paprika powder Or green chilies.
4. Ensure heat is on low mode else the spices might burn.
4. You could make chana bhel by adding sev/ bhujiya, onions, purees Or papdis with a dash of lime juice.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 to 3 people

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