Punjabi Chole Masala is one of the most popular vegetarian curry dishes in India. It is a chickpea curry cooked with onions, tomatoes and lots of spices. Chole is one of those core curries in northern India without which no party or wedding festivities is complete. I remember whenever we would call someone over for lunch or dinner, mom would almost always make chole (or rajma or dal makhani).
Chole is often enjoyed with bhatura (a deep fried bread). Chole bhature and chole chawal aka chole with rice is a very popular food combination and you would often find roadside carts selling plates of chole chawal in Delhi and around.
Punjabi Chole My Way!
No two houses in India will probably have the same recipe for chole. I know they were made differently in my house compared to how they were made in my husband’s house. Some people skip the onions while others skip the tomatoes, it’s totally a personal preference.
My husband loves chole, that’s kind of expected since he is a Punjabi. So, after I got married, I really tried to master making Punjabi Chole and after lots of trials, errors and hours of recipe testing, I think I found the perfect recipe. Now, my husband feels that I make the best chole, maybe he’s just biased but at least that makes me confident about this recipe. I can guarantee that if you love a good Punjabi style Chole Masala, you are going to love this recipe!
Here are my top tips which will help you in making a great Punjabi style chole masala:
- Don’t rush any of the steps, the steps of cooking the onions and tomatoes are all important and need some patience. The same applies to simmering the chole, they need to simmer for 30 minutes for the best flavor, which might seem a lot, but it helps to bring the flavor together. I have made chole when I rushed through the steps and the result was never as good.
- Mash some of the chickpeas as the chole simmers, using the back of your spatula, mash some of the chickpeas while the chole are simmering. This thickens the chole and adds to the flavor and texture of the curry.
Hope you enjoy one of my family’s favorite recipe!
Ingredients
Raw Chickpeas: to make authentic Punjabi chole, you need to start with raw chickpeas. Sure, you can make the recipe with canned chickpeas but it won’t have the same texture. I highly recommend using raw chickpeas and then soaking them overnight before using in the recipe.
Black tea bags: you might notice an unusual ingredient in the form of black tea bags in this recipe. The tea bags are used only to give chole a dark color, they add nothing to the taste. You can skip them if you don’t care about the color of the chole. You can even use dried amla (gooseberry) to get this dark color.
Chole/Chana masala: it’s a special blend of spices used in making chole. You can easily find it at any Indian grocery store but in case you cannot, I have a homemade chole masala recipe for you that you can make in a pinch.
Homemade chole masala powder
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
- 2 black cardamoms
- 8 cloves
- 3-4 dried red chilies
- 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
Dry roast all the whole spices (except ginger powder) in a pan on medium heat until the spices are fragrant and become light golden in color, around 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and let the spices cool down. Then transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder and add the ground ginger. Grind until the spices are powdered and well combined. Store this masala in an airtight container and use as needed.
How to Make Chole – Step by Step Instructions
- First, cook the chickpeas
We start with dried chickpeas because believe me they make the best chole. Overnight soaked chickpeas are cooked with some whole spice, water, salt, and black tea bags (for that deep chole color).
- Cook the onions well
It’s important to not rush the step and cook the onions until they are nicely golden brown and caramelized but be careful to not burn them.
- Fresh ginger, garlic, and tomatoes go in next!
I like using fresh ginger and garlic paste for this recipe, as it impacts the final flavor of the dish. I have tested this recipe with store-bought ginger garlic paste and the results are not the same. The fresh tomato puree should be cooked for 15 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently so that the tomatoes don’t burn.
- Simmer chole for 30 minutes
Once the tomatoes are cooked, stir in the spices like chole masala and cook for 1 to 2 minutes and then add the chole. The chole needs to simmer for 30 minutes on low heat- this is where the magic happens and the flavors come together.
- Ghee tadka and fresh herbs to finish it off
I love adding a tadka of ghee to my chole with some ginger juliennes. Add kasuri methi, garam masala and cilantro at the end for maximum aroma.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with bhatura (it’s the best) roti, tandoori roti or plain rice. You can also serve it with any grain of choice like quinoa, couscous etc. As I mentioned above, chole-bhature and chole-chawal (chole & plain rice) are very popular combinations in North India and it’s hard to beat these combos! If you would ask my husband, he would say that chole should be eaten only with bhatura or rice and nothing else.
What If I Only Have Canned Chickpeas?
In that case, you would not need to pressure cook the chickpeas since you already have cooked chickpeas on hand. For this recipe, you would need around 3 x 15 oz cans of chickpeas. Start by making the masala and go from there. Chole made from raw chickpeas, however, have much better texture so I would always recommend going the traditional route if you have time.
Yes, You Can Make Chole In Instant Pot!
To make this recipe in an instant pot, soak chickpeas overnight and then cook with whole spices, salt and black tea bags for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure be released naturally. Do the step of making the masala on the stovetop for that deep chole flavor.
You can do everything in one-pot too, in which case you will cook the masala first on sauté mode in the Instant pot (following the same steps of cooking the onions, tomatoes), then add the soaked chickpeas to the pot and pressure cook for 30 to 35 minutes. I like the convenience of one-pot cooking but for a nice Punjabi style chole, do make the masala separately and let the chole simmer on low heat. Trust me, it makes a difference.
But, What If Don’t Have a Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot?
Then you soak the chickpeas overnight and then add them to a wide pot with sufficient water, salt and whole spices and bring everything to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with a lid and cook the chickpeas on medium heat until they are very soft and tender. This will take around 1 hour on an open pan to reach that soft consistency. It might take longer depending on the intensity of the heat. You will need to add more water as needed as the chickpeas cook.
Chole Recipe (Punjabi Chole Masala)
Ingredients
To pressure cook
- 2 cups chickpeas, raw, to be soaked overnight
- 2 bay leaves
- 5-6 green cardamom pods
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 4-5 black peppercorn
- 2 black tea bags, for dark color of chole
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 5 cups water
For the chole masala
- 1 & ½ tablespoons oil, use any oil of choice, I used avocado oil
- 2 whole cloves
- ¾ cup grated onions, or very finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 2 & ½ cups pureed tomatoes , from 4 medium tomatoes
- 3 teaspoons chole masala powder, homemade (recipe above) or store-bought
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste, use Kashmiri red chili powder for less heat
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ salt, adjust to taste
To garnish
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 inch ginger, cut into julienne
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ tablespoon crushed kasuri methi, also known as dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Soak 2 cups chickpeas overnight (or for a minimum of 8 hours) in enough water to cover them. In the morning you should have around 5 cups of chickpeas (they increase in size overnight as they soak). Drain the water in which the chickpeas were soaked. Then transfer the chickpeas to a stovetop pressure cooker and add the whole spices- 2 bay leaves, 5-6 green cardamom pods, 1-inch cinnamon stick, and 4-5 black peppercorns. Also add 2 black tea bags (for color), 5 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Close the cooker and cook at high heat for 1 to 2 whistles. Then lower the heat to medium and let the chickpeas cook for another 10 minutes or so. Then remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant pot, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure comes off, remove the tea bags and bay leaves using a pair of tongs. The tea bags are used for color only and don't have an impact on the taste of chole. Set this aside.
- Heat 1 & ½ tablespoons oil in a large kadai or pot on medium heat. Add 2 cloves and ¾ cup onions (grated) to the pot. Cook the onions until the raw smell goes away and they are light golden brown in color, this takes around 7 to 8 minutes.
- Then add 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes away, around 2 minutes.
- Now, add 2 & ½ cups tomato puree (from 4 medium tomatoes) and stir. Cover the pot and cook the tomatoes for around 15 minutes on medium-low heat, stir every 2 to 3 minutes in between. This step of cooking tomatoes is important.
- Once the tomatoes are done, add the spices- 3 teaspoons chole masala powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika powder, ¾ teaspoon cumin powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook the spices for a minute or two.
- Then add the boiled chickpeas, (along with the water in which they were boiled) to the pot and stir until the chickpeas are well combined with the masala. Add an extra ½ cup water here and then cover the pan and let the chole simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Simmering on how heat is what will give this chole so much flavor! Mash some of the chickpeas with the back of your spatula while they are simmering.The gravy will thicken after 30 minutes, so if you prefer more gravy in your chole, add more water than what is mentioned in the recipe.
- Then for the final step, heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1-inch ginger juliennes and fry until the juliennes are golden brown in color but do not burn them. Add the ginger juliennes to the chole, stir and switch off the heat.
- Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala, ½ tablespoon kasuri methi and 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped) and serve the chole hot with rice, bhatura, parathas and more!
Video
Notes
- Skip the ghee in the tempering to make this vegan.
- Adjust the amount of red chili powder in the recipe to taste.
- I like to keep the chole masala gravy on the thicker side, for a thinner gravy add more water.
- Chole freeze well. Let the curry come down to room temperature, store in an airtight container and freeze.
- Use fresh ginger-garlic paste and fresh tomato puree for best results.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Manali,
I don’t have paprika powder. What can be a substitute for it? Any suggestions?
you can skip it!
I love chickpeas! Thank you for the recipe, Manali 🙂
What kind of chili powder do you use? I’m the US where I live, chili powder tends to be a blend with garlic powder, cumin, paprika and chili spice. I’m guessing it should be pure chili, so I’m wondering what kind. Thank you!
cayenne pepper
Ms Manali this recipe is super… I love chole and from now this is going to be the recipe i follow…. Its the best… Fingerlicking…. Thank you very much.
so glad to know!
Which tea bag to use?
black tea bag, any brand..it’s just for the color, doesn’t give any taste
Can you supplement your recipe with directions for an instant pot (instead of a traditional pressure cooker)?
IP chole Masala recipe is in my cookbook! If you want to cook chickpeas in IP for this recipe, soak overnight and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release. Hope this helps!
The best chole recipe ever! My hubby and fly members now never want to go to any resturant for chole!❤️
Thank you!
welcome! 🙂
Best recipe on internet for chole. Tried it once and never turned to any other recipe. The little tips and tricks work wonders.
Yay! so glad to hear that Shruti! 🙂
Hi Manali,
I used 2 cups chole ( 1 cup=240 ml) as I had guests over at home and used 5 tomatoes for the purée. However it tastes a bit tangy, I did add chole masala and others u mentioned. Not added the red chilli powder though. Did I use too many tomatoes coz of which the tangy flavour ? Or is it supposed to be like that
no it shouldn’t be tangy…I think the tomatoes you used weren’t sweet, so that’s the reason. Not that it’s tangy, you can add some yogurt or cream to tone it down, coconut milk can also work!
I prepared This Chholey recipe for my Guests. All the family members loved it. Thanks a lot Manali.
You are welcome! glad to know 🙂
How many cans of chick peas to use if just buying the pre cooked canned version?
I would use around 3 cans!
Awesome recipe!!!!! My husband liked it very much.he asked me to make it again today.thanks Manali ji for this awesome recipe
You are welcome Dimple, glad you enjoyed it
Hi Manali made the chole today for lunch and it was yum.Thanks for the recipe.From now on will try all your recipes so we hv more variety.Thank you once again.
glad to hear that!
Amaazinggg Recipe!! Simplified & very well explained!! Thanks a lot! Ended up making one of the best chole ever! Love how you precisely put everything up! Way to goo!!?
Thanks Harsha, I am happy to hear it worked for you!
Did as per your Receipe and really it was very very delicious.. Just loved it a lotttttt….
awesome!
Amazing recipe! Hotel style chole
They are my favorite! 🙂
Hi I have only green tea bag that are flavoured ones. May I know what brand of tea bag or what names
no you can’t use green tea bags here…you can use any brand but it should be plain black tea bags (no flavor)..that will give the chole a dark brown color..
Thank you for this. I always try receipes from YouTube but I followed this to then t and it came out delicious. The tea bag really makes a difference!
Welcome! 🙂
This is an exact replica of how i make chhole!!! I taught myself before internet came into being 🙂 Now I have to follow all your recipes.
Hi Manali, I cooked this receive for the first time and believe me it turned out delicious. Your idea of boiling chole with all the spices in there really works wonders in getting that flavour in chole… Thankyou for this receive. Will definitely try your other receipts too ?
I don’t have chole masala-anything else I can use? Thanks
hmm you can use more of the garam masala and I would use amchur (dried mango powder) for that tangy taste
This is such an easy and tastiestttttttt chhole recipe. Have made it twice already! Loved it! You’re aweosme! Thanks.
You are welcome Akansha! So glad you enjoyed these chole, they are my favorite too 🙂
It seems I’ve spoiled the chole by adding more red chilli than required?
I mean I added 1 tsp of chilli powder and no paprika.
What should I do now?
Will adding tomato sauce later solve the problem?
try adding some yogurt to it,…you can also try ketchup
Is there a way to make this recipe without a pressure cooker? Say just simmering on the stove or using a slow cooker?
you can make it..just cook the chickpeas on stove top (after being soaked overnight) until they are done. It will take around 1 hour for it to reach the stage we are looking for in the chole or probably more. I just never cook by beans/chickpeas on stove top so I don’t have a definitive answer!
Thank you!!! I’m making it this weekend, cannot wait!!
This is my go-to recipe for making chole. I love your recipe! After the whole thing is done, i put everything back in the cooker and give it 1 more whistle – really helps everyrhing blend together and makes it melt in the mouth.
Thanks for posting!
Welcome! Glad you enjoy these chole, they are my favorite 🙂
Hi, First off, your recipe sounds so yummy. And the teabag secret, thank you so much for sharing. Who would have thougt that tea could bring that cooked all day color to the recipe!!
I do have one question, what is chole masala, is there a certain brand or do you make your own. Please do share your chole masala recipe if you have one.
Thanks
Thanks Bushra, I do have a chole masala recipe which I will share someday..but for store bought, I love the Everest brand chole masala!
Hi Manali,
I would like to reduce the quantity of your recipe and cook with only 1 cup of uncooked chickpeas. Can you suggest how to adjust the other ingredients?
Also, how long does this dish keep in the freezer in an airtight container?
Thank you very much!
you can just half the ingredients..should be fine. and I have never tried freezing this dish but it should freeze well for 2 months I guess
Thank you very much for your really yummy Chole recipe. My wife is bedridden and our helper cooks for us. I decided to use your recipe this evening and I was so happy that my wife really loved it. I too liked it a lot. God bless!
I am so glad to hear that Charles! Sending best wishes for you and your wife..take care..
Great recipe! The flavors work perfectly and the tea-bag does a great job 🙂
I had one question..I soak the chhole overnight for at least 8 hours and cook in Hawkins pressure cooker for 12 whistles. However the chhole still remain hard. I have gone as far as 17 whistles but they don’t soften fully. They’re cooked though and taste fabulous after the rest of the process.
Any tips on what I can do to soften them more apart from more whistles?
Thanks
Hi Rajan! Glad you liked the recipe. If you chole don’t cook well it might be a case of the chickpeas being old. Buy a new bag and try. Also try adding a little baking soda when boiling the chickpea. I would suggest pressure cooking on high heat for 5-6 whistles, then lower the heat and let it cook for 15-20 minutes more on low-medium heat. They should turn out absolutely soft!
Thanks very much…Yes the chickpeas I have been using are quire old, at least 7-8 months…Didn’t think of that!
Will try again with newer ones and add baking soda…
I didn’t know about the tea bag. Adding a tea bag can add colours the chole. I always wonder that, why my chole didn’t pick the colour like restaurant. Thank you for sharing.
yes that’s the secret 🙂
Though I’m a pukka non-veggie, nothing beats Punjabi style chole with Paratha. I don’t mind if you turn the spice heat up. I can eat chole every single day of my life.
Recepi looks yummy.. May I know the purpose of tea bags please
Hi Nikhila..I have mentioned this in the post 🙂 tea bags are to give the chole a dark color..they don’t have any other role nor do they alter the taste in any way. If you don’t want dark chole and don’t care about it..skip them.
Went and purchased all the spices today at a great Indian Spice shop.She recommended Reshampatti in place of the red chili powder .Do you think that will work?I had smoked paprika at home so I purchased the sweet paprika. Oh,and I forgot the tomatoes.I will make this very soon.
It will work…you can use regular cayenne pepper in place of red chili powder too. Hope you enjoy it!
I made it this morning and it was a great success.Thank you ! I pressure cooked the chickpeas for 35 min.Also I used Veggie Ghee. Is cow Ghee better?
Glad to hear that David 🙂 Yes cow ghee is better, has so much more flavor to it!
Nic recepi i loved it. Ty. bt.
Meri bhukh ka ilaz chicken.
Kukdu ku ?
haha
chole masala = 3tsp
which masala is this
chole masala/chana masala…what we get at grocery store!
Chole were never so yummy till date but after preparing it by ur reciepe i started loving it…..yummmmm? keep updating us with more yummy reciepes.
I am so glad to know that Monika! 🙂
I made chole-your style 😉 I’m learning cooking actually
And I cooked it today for my parents
And they’ve loved it !
I didn’t have kasuri methi
Neither did I add cumin powder
But lemme just mention, the idea of adding cinnamon, and All of those ingredients to the pressure cooker, just added that superb taste to the chickpeas
Mamma mia !
I loved my chole ! 😀
Great recipe ! thanks a ton
Hugs and kisses
– from a giddy teenager
haha thanks Vrushali! your comment made me smile, glad you & your parents enjoyed the chole 🙂 Keep cooking!
Awesome it tasted. Simply loved it. Even my punjabi friends loved it. And that says it all. Thank you for sharing.
Welcome Sangy, glad you all enjoyed!
Hello Manali,
Tried this recipe n omg this is the best recipe ever..Thanks a ton?
Welcome Ankita! So happy to hear that! 🙂
Hello. I would like to make this recipe using chick peas in can. Each one has 400gr. Could you please guide me. How many cans should I use to prepare this delicious recipe. I love chole and want to make it for my husband
Thanks
Adri.
Hi Adri, if your can has 400 grams of chickpeas, use 1 can only..also reduce the liquids in the recipe…canned chickpeas will need less water. Although I have to say that you get authentic taste of chole only by cooking from raw chickpeas since that’s how they are always made in India. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hello Manali!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I made your cauliflower and potato curry and it was so delicious!
One question. I do not have a pressure cooker. What type do you recommend? Do you use yours often when cooking beans? I make a lot of recipes with beans and I am thinking that this would be a wise purchase. But maybe an inexpensive one, as I have just recently purchased a rice cooker and a juicer!
Hi Laura! I always use my pressure cooker while cooking beans, lentils, chickpeas. In India, we used a traditional pressure cooker , like this –> http://amzn.to/2BHqOj0 (affiliate link) and that’s what is still used at my home in India. However these days another another very good option is Instant Pot –> http://amzn.to/2omrCBv (affiliate link). It’s an electric pressure cooker and gives consistent results every time, there’s so much you can do with it and I highly recommend it!
Wow great recipe
I like it n enjoyed this at home
glad to know!
I usually make very good chole, but your recipe took it to another level!
Keep up the great work!
Awesome! glad you liked it! 🙂
Black or green cardamom when pressure cooking?
green!
Thank you, Manali, for the delicious recipe! I just made it for my father and myself and we both loved it. I’ll definitely be making this chole again!
Welcome Stefanie! I am glad you & your dad enjoyed it 🙂
I made this for my family tonight and served with rice and samosa. Everyone loved this. I just purchased an electric pressure cooker, a hot pot type and it cooked the chickpeas buttery soft. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
I am so glad to hear that Carolyn, glad you enjoyed!
Can I make chana curry without soaking it overnight?
you may..but for a good melt-in-mouth chole like we get in Delhi, chickpeas need to be soaked overnight..gives the best result!
Thanks Manali for the recipe. Just made it. This one is a keeper.
glad to know!
You are the best cook in the whole wide world! I love all your recipes
Thank you so much for sharing them with us 🙂
aww..thanks Stefan! <3
Fab fab recipe. Just made it and omg it was the best chole I have tasted in a long time. Kudos!
And thank you!
Welcome Shelley! I am glad you liked them as much we do! 🙂
Very nice I cooked and had with Bhatura.. Had a family come in and they loved it
I am really happy to hear that! 🙂
Hey Manali u can add 1/2 cup chana Dal for thicker gravy
thanks for the tip, will try some day. But my chole are already quite thick so have never thought of making them thicker 🙂
Love the recipe M …I will try. Please let me know what brand chole masala you buy from Indian store.
Thanks CV! I usually buy Everest Chole Masala…in my opinion it tastes the best 🙂
Well maybe your opinion isn’t as good as mine.. Buy Suhana brand chole masala love if you live in mumbai.. it’s better than any other masala
Thanks for the recommendation Akash..I will get it next time I am in Mumbai 🙂