Chole Masala

Ingredients

• • White kabuli channas - 1 cup
• • Onions - 3
• • Tomatoes - 2
• • Ginger - 1 inch piece
• • Garlic - 8 flakes
• • Tamarind (soaked & extracted) - small lime size
• • Jaggery - 1 tablespoon
• • Oil - 2 ½ tablespoons
• • Salt - as required
• • Green chillies - 2
• • Chilly powder - 1 ½ teaspoons
• • Cardamoms - 3
• • Cloves - 3
• • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• • Coriander leaves (cut) - 1 tablespoon
• • Cooking soda - a pinch

Ingredients For Garnishing

• • Onions (finely cut) - 1 tablespoon
• • Lemon pieces - 4

Method

• 1. Soak channa for 10 hours in enough water, with little cooking soda.
• 2. Wash well and cook it in pressure cooker with enough water for nearly 20 minutes, after the vent has been kept.
• 3. Grind onion, ginger, garlic, along with cardamom, clove and cinnamon.
• 4. Blanch tomatoes in hot water, remove skin and grind separately.
• 5. Heat ghee in a frying, pan, add cumin seeds.
• 6. When it splutters add the masala paste and fry in medium flame, till ghee separates from it.
• 7. Add tomato puree and keep stirring constantly until the moisture is completely absorbed.
• 8. Add salt, chilly powder tamarind extract, jaggery and boiled channa with that water.
• 9. Cook until the gravy is thick enough to serve.
• 10. Remove from fire, garnish with fried green chillies and cut coriander leaves.
• 11. Serve hot for Bhatura's or puris, accompanied with finely cut onions and lemon pieces.