Amritsari Chole

Description

 * Ethnicity - Punjabi, North Indian
 * Type of meal - Party, Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients
To Boil
 * 250 grams Chole (Chickpeas)
 * 1 teabag ( this is used to give the black colour)
 * 4-6 Pieces Kali Ilaichi
 * salt to taste
 * black salt 1 teaspoon ( use as desired or mix half of white salt and half of black salt)


 * 3-4 Green Chillies - finely chopped
 * 2-3 tomatoes - finely chopped
 * 1 piece ginger - finely chopped
 * 2-3 tsp Green Corriender - finely chopped
 * 1 Onion - finely chopped
 * 1/2 tsp Mangopowder (aamchur)
 * 1 Tbsp garam masala
 * Red Chillies to taste
 * 2 tsp dry Corriender
 * 100 gms Table spoon ghee
 * 2 pieces bay leaves

For Dry Spices ( masala)
 * 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
 * 6 pieces clove
 * 1 piece Cinnammon
 * 1 tsp black pepper
 * 1 tsp. jeera
 * 1 tsp coriander seeds
 * 2 tsp anardana

Directions

 * 1) Soak Chole (Chickpeas) in water to soak overnight.
 * 2) Take a pressure cooker ( or use a normal vessel for boiling) and add Chole, tea bag,sal and Black Elaichi and add lots of water and boil for 10 minutes in the pressure cooker ( 30 minutes in a normal vessel). DO NOT OVERCOOK .If you overcook Chole it will end up like a starchy paste.
 * 3) After cooking discard the teaback.
 * 4) On a Tava or a frypan, roast all dry masala and make a rough powder out of that and keep aside.
 * 5) In a seperate pan heat oil and add bayleaves and then fry the onions till golden brown.
 * 6) Add garam masala and tomotoes and fry and then add all the Chole ( keep the water seperately ) in the pan and mix well for 2 minutes.
 * 7) Add the dry masala which you have already roasted on a pan.
 * 8) Add water in which you boiled the Chole earlier.
 * 9) Let it bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 10 minutes.
 * 10) If the curry looks too thick then add some water.
 * 11) Mash some of the chole by pressing it with a spatula to give it a thick consitency like thick cream.
 * 12) Garnish it with chopped coriander. Green chillies halves.
 * 13) red onions soaked in vinegar are an excellent accompaniment with Chole.
 * 14) Serve with rice, or Bhature.

TIPS :
 * 1) The chole which you eat in the shops have slightly blackish colour.
 * 2) This can be achieved in many ways at home.
 * 3) While boiling the choles add teabags ( 1 or 2 ) to add the slightly black colour.
 * 4) Add 2 -3 drops of soya sauce while you finished the cooking( DO NOT add more than this otherwise the taste will be overshadowed with Soya Sauce flavour)
 * 5) While Preparing the dry masala, Roast them till they start getting burnt and turn black.