This Amritsari Chole curry is spicy, tangy, delicious, and flavorful! It is a traditional dish from North India, and I made it without onion or garlic.
Amritsari Chole is very popular in India. It is a comforting, hearty, and satisfying dish. The recipe is easy and straightforward to follow. It is made with staple pantry ingredients, but it tastes authentic!
Delicious and Flavorful Amritsari Chole
Chole is a popular dish in India, and various versions of this curry exist, such as chana masala, chole masala, Pindi chole, Amritsari chole, etc.
For Amritsari Chole, chickpeas are cooked in water with tea bags and dry amla to provide a darker shade to this dish.
It is a delicious and flavorful dish, and chickpeas make it highly nutritious. So, if you can not figure out how to make Jain Chole or Amritsari Chole without onion and garlic, this recipe is worth trying!
Amritsari Chole consists of cooked chickpeas in tomato gravy with whole and ground spices and herbs. It is best served with Bhature, Naan, Kulcha, or Jeera Rice.
What To Love About Amritsari Chole
- Amritsari Chole is delicious, flavorful, and restaurant-style.
- It is rich, wholesome, comforting, and nutritious.
- The recipe is easy to make with staple pantry ingredients.
- It is without onion and garlic but high in flavor.
- It goes perfectly well with Naan, Kulcha, Bhature, or Rice.
Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Soak the chickpeas for 8-10 hours or overnight. I pressure cook the chickpeas, but you can also use an instant pot. I add a pinch of baking soda while cooking the chole, as it helps cook the chickpeas faster and more thoroughly.
- Tea Bag and Dry Amla: The tea bag and dry amla provide a darker color to the chickpeas. However, you can only use a teabag or dry amla. If you do not have a tea bag, place 2 teaspoon tea granules in the muslin cloth with other spices.
- Whole Spices: I tied some whole spices in the muslin cloth and placed the sack in the pressure cooker while cooking chickpeas. Whole spices provide a pleasant aroma and flavor to the chickpeas. And because they are tied in the sac, removing them after boiling the chickpeas is easy.
- Oil and Ghee: I used oil and ghee, but you can skip ghee for a vegan diet. Butter can also be used instead of ghee. However, ghee provides flavor and aroma to the dish, and I highly recommend using it.
- Hing (Asafoetida): I like adding hing while making the dish with lentils and beans. But it is optional, and you can skip it.
- Green Chili and Ginger: You can add more or less green chilis to your taste for spiciness. Ginger provides an earthy note to the chole, but if you do not use ginger, add dry ginger powder.
- Tomatoes: Amritsari Chole is a curry based on tomato gravy; choose ripe tomatoes for this recipe.
- Ground Spices: I used basic ground spices, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. You can adjust the level of spices according to your taste.
- Chole Masala: I love using chole masala for my chickpea curries. But instead of chole masala, you can also add garam masala.
- Anardana (Dried Pomegranate Seeds): Dried Anardana adds tanginess and a unique flavor to the Amritsari Chole. However, if you do not have it, skip it.
- Herbs: Using Kasoori Methi and fresh coriander leaves enhances the curry flavors.
How To Make Amritsari Chole Step-by-Step
Preparations
- Rinse and soak the chickpeas in 4-5 cups of water for at least 8-10 hours or overnight.
- Add green cardamoms, cloves, dry amla, and black peppercorns to a small muslin cloth and tie the muslin cloth into a small sac.
Cooking The Chickpeas
- After soaking, drain the chickpeas, rinse with fresh water, and transfer them into the pressure cooker.
- Add water, salt, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, tea bag, and prepared muslin sac to the pressure cooker with chickpeas.
- Pressure cook the chickpeas on medium heat for 8-10 whistles or until thoroughly cooked.
- However, the cooking time may vary depending on the type and age of the chole.
- When pressure is released naturally, open the lid and check the chickpeas either by tasting or with your fingers.
- They should not have a bite to them and should be soft and thoroughly cooked.
- If not, boil again and add more water if required.
- Remove the muslin sac, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and tea bag from the chickpeas.
Making The Amritsari Chole
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds.
- You can only use oil or ghee if you prefer.
- Allow the cumin seeds to sizzle, then add the asafoetida, green chili, and chopped ginger.
- Saute for a few seconds.
- Add tomato puree, mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chole masala or garam masala.
- Mix well.
- Continue cooking the tomato mixture for 8-10 minutes and until the fat separates from the sides.
- Add Anardana and boiled chickpeas along with water.
- Stir well and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While cooking the chole, add more water as required to adjust the consistency.
- Then, using a potato masher, mash the chickpeas a couple of times.
- Mashing a few chickpeas will make the gravy thicker and creamy.
- Finally, add Kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves.
- Mix well, taste, and adjust the seasonings if required.
- You can squeeze some lemon juice if you prefer.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the Amritsari Chole without Onion and Garlic to the serving bowl.
Serving Suggestions
- Amritsari Chole is best served with Bhature or Kulcha.
- However, you can also serve it with Roti, Paratha, or Naan. Or try serving it with Whole Wheat Kulcha (No Yeast).
- This Jain Chole tastes great with plain rice or Jeera Rice (Restaurant Style).
Helpful Tips
- Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas, but I recommend starting with raw chickpeas and cooking them at home for the best Amritsari Chole. Also, it is essential to soak the chana for at least 8 hours. And cook them in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot until soft and thoroughly cooked.
- Baking Soda: Sometimes, pressure cooking the chickpeas takes a lot of time, and it is still hard to get the soft texture. But adding a pinch of baking soda while pressure cooking the chickpeas helps cook them faster with a perfectly cooked and soft texture.
- Tea Bag: If you do not want to use a tea bag, skip it. Instead, use more dry amla pieces to get the dark brown color of the Chole.
- Anardana: If you do not have Anardana, you can skip adding them. Instead, add amchur or lemon juice for the tanginess.
- Make It Jain: This recipe does not include onion and garlic, but if you follow the strict Jain diet and do not consume ginger, you can add dried ginger powder instead.
- Make It Vegan: Do not add ghee; use only oil to make this recipe vegan.
More Indian Curries
Recipe Card
Amritsari Chole (No Onion No Garlic)
This Amritsari Chole curry is spicy, tangy, delicious, and flavorful! It is a traditional dish from North India, and I made it without onion or garlic.
Video
Ingredients
For Cooking The Chickpeas
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas (chole)
- 3 cups water
- Salt to taste
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tea bag (optional)
- 3 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 8 black peppercorns
- 5-6 dry amla
For Amritsari Chole
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee (skip for the vegan diet)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 green chili slitted
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 3 medium tomatoes pureed
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon chole masala or garam masala
- 1 tablespoon Anardana lightly crushed (dried pomegranate seeds)
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparations
- Rinse and soak the chickpeas in 4-5 cups of water for at least 8-10 hours or overnight.
- Add green cardamoms, cloves, dry amla, and black peppercorns to a small muslin cloth and tie the muslin cloth into a small sac.
Cooking The Chickpeas
- After soaking, drain the chickpeas, rinse with fresh water, and transfer them into the pressure cooker.
- Add water, salt, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, tea bag, and prepared muslin sac to the pressure cooker with chickpeas.
- Pressure cook the chickpeas on medium heat for 8-10 whistles or until thoroughly cooked. However, the cooking time may vary depending on the type and age of the chole.
- When pressure is released naturally, open the lid and check the chickpeas either by tasting or with your fingers. They should not have a bite to them and should be soft and thoroughly cooked. If not, boil again and add more water if required.
- Remove the muslin sac, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and tea bag from the chickpeas.
Making The Amritsari Chole
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. You can only use oil or ghee if you prefer.
- Allow the cumin seeds to sizzle, then add the asafoetida, green chili, and chopped ginger. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add tomato puree, mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chole masala or garam masala. Mix well.
- Continue cooking the tomato mixture for 8-10 minutes and until the fat separates from the sides.
- Add Anardana and boiled chickpeas along with water. Stir well and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While cooking the chole, add more water as required to adjust the consistency. Then, using a potato masher, mash the chickpeas a couple of times. Mashing a few chickpeas will make the gravy thicker and creamy.
- Finally, add Kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well, taste, and adjust the seasonings if required. You can squeeze some lemon juice if you prefer.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the Amritsari Chole without Onion and Garlic to the serving bowl.
Notes
- Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas, but I recommend starting with raw chickpeas and cooking them at home for the best Amritsari Chole. Also, it is essential to soak the chana for at least 8 hours. And cook them in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot until soft and thoroughly cooked.
- Baking Soda: Sometimes, pressure cooking the chickpeas takes a lot of time, and it is still hard to get the soft texture. But adding a pinch of baking soda while pressure cooking the chickpeas helps cook them faster with a perfectly cooked and soft texture.
- Tea Bag: If you do not want to use a tea bag, skip it. Instead, use more dry amla pieces to get the dark brown color of the Chole.
- Anardana: If you do not have Anardana, you can skip adding them. Instead, add amchur or lemon juice for the tanginess.
- Make It Jain: This recipe does not include onion and garlic, but if you follow the strict Jain diet and do not consume ginger, you can add dried ginger powder instead.
- Make It Vegan: Do not add ghee; use only oil to make this recipe vegan.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 267kcalCarbohydrates : 35gProtein : 11gFat : 11gSaturated Fat : 3gPolyunsaturated Fat : 3gMonounsaturated Fat : 4gTrans Fat : 0.01gCholesterol : 10mgSodium : 26mgPotassium : 597mgFiber : 11gSugar : 7gVitamin A : 439IUVitamin C : 9mgCalcium : 92mgIron : 4mg
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Mehta says
Easy and delicious Amritsari chhole
Jigna says
Thank you so much.😊
Chandrikaa says
Thanks for the wonderful recipes without onion and garlic. As we do not eat onion and garlic, this was so desperately needed and I’m glad I found it. Thank you so much
Jigna says
Thank you so much, Chandrikaa, for the feedback. I am glad that you like the recipe. Please keep coming for more and more no onion no garlic recipes.😊