Chole Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas

‘Hard & dry, a chickpea is inedible. Hard & dry, a heart is unlovable.
Presoak it in dance, music & art.’
Khang Kijarro Nguyen

Chole Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas  the way my Mum makes them. Try as I might, my chole masala flavours are always different, the taste not quite not same. Must be a thing of the hand, the way she cooks them, but it’s a simple dish which makes me hungry for more. So now I let her make them for me which she gladly does. Chole Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas  is a quintessential recipe from the Indian sub continent, one of the most popular perhaps. Every house has it’s own recipe, and you can keep them as spicy or light as you like. The Chole Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas are a meal in themselves, a treat for someone like me who would rather just enjoy them like a one bowl meal. Sliced onions to top them, finely sliced green chilies, a squeeze of lime juice, sometimes some crispies sneaked in! You get the drift!! 

My mother often calls me in a hurry to pick them up as she makes them, wanting us to enjoy them warm. Often as things go, I am out or in the middle of something. The good thing about her cholas are that she makes them in large quantities, and they taste even better after an overnight rest. All you need to do is reheat them and dig in! That’s just where this the latest addition to my kitchen is quite handy.The Milton MicroWoW Casserole is microwaveable {dishwasher proof too} with stainless steel inside which makes it absolutely unique. It allows you to microwave your food and also retain heat of the food in the same casserole for 4 hours. Such an innovative concept; one we loved the minute we heard of it.

Like me, if you set curd/yogurt at home everyday, this casserole doubles up as a curd maker. With winter around the corner, when I am constantly looking for warm spots for the curd to set, I think my search ends here! Until then, this is a great way to store ice cream for a short while. Seems to pack quite a punch, quite like the Chole Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas !My mum’s recipe is simple, and a little different from how I cook them. Most of her recipes, like this one, are based on andaaz, or eyeballing of ingredients. A little of this, a pinch of that, toss something in. Oh did I forget that? Never mind, maybe next time. I’m sure it’ll taste fine, a little different perhaps. As all mothers cook, recipes are generally ‘taste as you go‘, and that’s the best way to cook really!

I love the idea of new kitchen gadgets, cookware & bakeware, also the fact that there is so much creativity out there. I think the casserole is going to very handy & welcome in my kitchen as I’m out of home a fair bit too. The feeling that I’ve left the option of warm food for someone is comforting! How do you folk manage?

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Choley Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas

Chole Masala / Curried Spicy Chickpeas is a quintessential recipe from the Indian sub continent, one of the most popular perhaps. Every house has it's own recipe, and you can keep them as spicy or light as you like. This is my mums. Most of her recipes, like this one, are based on andaaz, or eyeballing of ingredients. A little of this, a pinch of that, toss something in.

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Chana Masala

• 500 g chola/dried chickpeas soaked overnight
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp whole black pepper
• 2-3 black cardamom
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 onions finely sliced
• 1" piece ginger finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tsp chana masala

Garnish

• Ginger jullienes,green chilies, sliced onions, fresh coriander, lime

Instructions

• Drain the overnight soaked chickpeas, wash well, and place in pressure cooker with enough water to cover them, about an inch over.
• Cook under pressure on simmer for a 45 minutes to an hour until soft and almost double in size.
• Meanwhile, add 1 tbsp mustard oil to a heavy bottom wok/kadhai.
• Add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Make sure they don't get dark brown or the flavour gets bitter.
• Add the ginger, green chilies or red chili powder if using, or both, chana masala and tomatoes.
• Saute over low heat until the tomatoes are mushy soft and leave oil.
• Add the cooked soft chickpeas and toss well to mix in masala, reserving the liquid for later. Add as much of the liquid as you like, stir well, adjust seasoning, turn the whole prep back into the cooker and give the chickpeas one more pressure. This will allow the spices/masalas to be absorbed by the chickpeas.
• Serve with naaan or rice. Or like me, serve in a bowl with a squeeze of lime juice, sliced onions, ginger, fresh coriander and some sneaked in crispies!