This Malai Chole is made with tender chickpeas simmered in a rich, velvety gravy of yogurt, cream, and Indian spices. It is comforting, perfectly spiced, and made without onion and garlic.
It's an excellent choice to make this Malai Chole for festive occasions or whenever you want a no-onion-no-garlic meal that feels indulgent. This dish is a perfect balance of flavor and texture and gives absolute satisfaction.
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Malai Chole without Onion and Garlic
As the name suggests, this chole is truly creamy and full of flavor without onion and garlic. The key ingredient, yogurt combined with a little cream, provides a creamy, smooth, and velvety texture to the dish.
Making this Malai Chole is simple with pantry staple ingredients. You can definitely adjust the spice level and make it according to your taste buds.
I have added cashews as well to provide thickness and richness to the gravy. Adding dry Kashmiri red chilis provides a beautiful red hue to the gravy without making it too spicy. However, if you do not have dry chilis, you can skip or add Kashmiri red chili powder.
This Malai Chole is a must-try, and you can serve it with Naan, Kulcha, Bhatura, Puri, or even jeera rice. It’s comforting, satisfying, and tastes delicious without putting extra effort.
Why You Will Love This Creamy Chole
- This Malai Chole is creamy, delicious, comforting, and satisfying.
- It is made without onion and garlic, yet full of flavor.
- The dish is easy to prepare with pantry staples.
- It is perfect for festive or sattvik meals, or weeknight dinners.
- Serve it with Naan, Kulcha, Bhatura, Puri, or Rice.
Ingredients and Notes
- Chickpeas: Soak the chickpeas for at least 8-10 hours or overnight. I pressure cook the chickpeas, but you can also use an Instant Pot.
- Oil: I used oil for this recipe, but you can also use ghee or butter instead of oil.
- Dried Kashmiri Red Chilis: Dried Kashmiri red chilis provide a dark red hue to the gravy without making it spicy. However, if you don’t have them, skip or use Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Ginger and Green Chilies: You can add more or fewer green chilies to your taste for spiciness. Ginger provides an earthy note to the chole, but for a strict Jain diet, if you do not use ginger, add dry ginger powder.
- Tomatoes: Malai Chole is made with a base of yogurt gravy, so we do not need many tomatoes. I have added only one large tomato.
- Cashews: I love cashews for my curries as they provide thickness and richness to the gravy made without onions. You can also use blanched almonds or melon seeds instead of cashews.
- Yogurt: The main ingredient for Malai Chole gravy is yogurt. So, use fresh plain yogurt that is not sour and is thick. Also, use whole milk yogurt for the creaminess and richness. Low-fat or thinner yogurt will curdle after adding it to the pan. However, if you want to use low-fat yogurt, hang it in a kitchen cloth for a few hours and then use the hung yogurt. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Cream: Cream makes the chole more creamy, rich, and provides a velvety texture.
- Ground Spices: I used basic ground spices, including hing, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chole masala. You can adjust the level of spices according to your taste. Instead of chole masala, you can also use garam masala or chana masala.
- Whole Spices and Seeds: I have added star anise, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, and cumin seeds.
- Cilantro and Kasoori Methi: To enhance the flavor of Malai Chole, add freshly chopped coriander leaves and Kasoori methi.
How To Make Malai Chole
Boiling the Chickpeas
- Rinse the chickpeas with water and soak them in 4-5 cups of water for 8-10 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, drain the water completely and transfer the chickpeas to the pressure cooker.
- Add 3-4 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder, and oil.
- Stir well and pressure cook the chickpeas for 7-8 whistles or until they are thoroughly cooked.
- Alternatively, you can cook the chickpeas in an Instant Pot for 25 minutes at high pressure, and allow the pressure to release naturally.
Making the Tomato Paste
- Heat oil in a pan and add chopped ginger, green chili, and dried red chilis.
- Sauté for a few seconds.
- Then add tomatoes and cashews and mix well.
- Cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
- Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down slightly.
- Then, transfer it to a blender jar and blend until it forms a smooth paste, adding water if required.
Preparing the Yogurt Mixture
- In a bowl, add yogurt, cream, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chole masala.
- Stir well until the mixture is smooth and lumps-free.
- Set aside.
Making the Malai Chole
- Now, heat oil or ghee in the same pan and add cumin seeds, star anise, green and black cardamoms, and cloves.
- Sauté until the cumin seeds start to sizzle.
- Add the prepared tomato puree and stir until well combined.
- Then turn the heat on low and add the yogurt mixture, and stir continuously until everything is well combined.
- Once the yogurt mixture is thoroughly combined, increase the heat and cook the gravy for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Ensure to cook the gravy until the raw taste of yogurt goes away.
- Now, add boiled chickpeas and chickpea water as required, and stir well.
- Taste the curry and add salt as needed.
- Cover the lid and simmer the chole on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the oil separates, stirring occasionally.
- Once oil separates, add kasoori methi and chopped cilantro.
- Mix well and turn off the heat.
- Serve the hot Malai Chole with Indian flatbread or rice.
Serving Suggestions
Malai Chole is best served with Naan, Bhature, or Kulcha.
However, you can also serve it with Roti or Paratha. Or try serving it with Whole Wheat Kulcha (No Yeast).
This Malai Chole without onion and garlic tastes great with plain rice or Jeera Rice.
It can be part of a festive thali, accompanied by paneer curry, raita, and sweets.
Helpful Tips For Malai Chole
Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas, but I recommend starting with raw chickpeas and cooking them at home for the best Malai 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.
Whole Spices: You can add more or fewer whole spices depending on what you have in your pantry. If you do not want whole spices in your curry, you can tie them in a muslin cloth sack and place it with the chickpeas while cooking. After cooking the chickpeas, remove the sack and continue with the process.
Yogurt: For the best result, use fresh yogurt that is not sour. Also, use thick and whole milk yogurt. Thinner yogurt will curdle after adding it to the pan. If using low-fat yogurt, hang it for a while to remove extra whey, and then use the hung yogurt. You can also use Greek yogurt.
Cream: I have added ¼ cup of heavy cream to make the Malai Chole creamy and rich. However, you can add cashew cream, low-fat cream, or coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
FAQ For Malai Chole
Using thinner or low-fat yogurt results in a curdled gravy, which is unpleasant. To prevent curdling, use thick and whole milk yogurt. Also, either turn the heat on low or turn it off before adding the yogurt mixture. Mix well, then increase or turn up the heat. If you have low-fat or thinner yogurt, hang it in a clean cloth until most of the whey is removed, and you will have a thick, hung yogurt. Then, measure the hung yogurt and use it for the recipe.
You can skip the cashews if you prefer. However, the tomato paste will not be as thick as it should be. However, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of melon seeds for the cashews. Or, add ¼ cup of chopped celery or cabbage instead of cashews. These vegetables will also make the gravy thicker.
Well, cream is essential to make this chole a Malai Chole. However, if you’d like to skip it, you can do it. However, I suggest more options, such as adding more cashews or cashew cream. You can also add low-fat or light cream instead of heavy cream. Adding coconut cream is another option, but it will add its flavor to the curry.
More Curries without Onion and Garlic
Malai Chole (No Onion No Garlic)
Ingredients
For Cooking the Chickpeas
- 1 cup dried chickpeas (chole)
- 3-4 cups water
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon oil
For the Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1- inch ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 2 Kashmiri dried red chilis
- 8-10 cashews
- 1 large tomato, chopped
For the Yogurt Mixture
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup cream
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon chole masala or to taste
For the Malai Chole
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 star anise
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 2-3 cloves
- Prepared tomato paste
- Yogurt mixture
- Boiled chickpeas
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi
- 2-3 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
Boiling the Chickpeas
- Rinse the chickpeas with water and soak them in 4-5 cups of water for at least 8-10 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, drain the water completely and transfer the chickpeas to the pressure cooker. Add 3-4 cups of water, salt, turmeric powder, and oil. Stir well and pressure cook the chickpeas for 7-8 whistles or until they are thoroughly cooked.
- Alternatively, you can cook the chickpeas in an Instant Pot for 25 minutes at high pressure, and allow the pressure to release naturally.
Making the Tomato Paste
- Heat oil in a pan and add chopped ginger, green chili, and dried red chilis. Sauté for a few seconds. Then add tomatoes and cashews and mix well.
- Cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down slightly. Then, transfer it to a blender jar and blend until it forms a smooth paste, adding water if required.
Preparing the Yogurt Mixture
- In a bowl, add yogurt, cream, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chole masala. Stir well until the mixture is smooth and lumps-free. Set aside.
Making the Malai Chole
- Now, heat oil or ghee in the same pan and add cumin seeds, star anise, green and black cardamoms, and cloves. Sauté until the cumin seeds start to sizzle.
- Add the prepared tomato puree and stir until well combined. Then turn the heat on low and add the yogurt mixture, and stir continuously until everything is well combined.
- Once the yogurt mixture is thoroughly combined, increase the heat and cook the gravy for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ensure to cook the gravy until the raw taste of yogurt goes away.
- Now, add boiled chickpeas and chickpea water as required, and stir well. Taste the curry and add salt as needed.
- Cover the lid and simmer the chole on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the oil separates, stirring occasionally.
- Once oil separates, add kasoori methi and chopped cilantro. Mix well and turn off the heat. Serve the hot Malai Chole with your choice of Indian flatbread or rice.
Notes
- Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas, but I recommend starting with raw chickpeas and cooking them at home for the best Malai Chole. Also, it is essential to soak the chana for at least 8-10 hours. And cook them in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot until soft and thoroughly cooked.
- Whole Spices: You can add more or fewer whole spices depending on what you have in your pantry. If you do not want whole spices in your curry, you can tie them in a muslin cloth sack and place it with the chickpeas while cooking. After cooking the chickpeas, remove the sack and continue with the process.
- Yogurt: For the best result, use fresh yogurt that is not sour. Also, use thick and whole milk yogurt. Thinner yogurt will curdle after adding it to the pan. If using low-fat yogurt, hang it for a while to remove extra whey, and then use the hung yogurt. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Cream: I have added ¼ cup of heavy cream to make the Malai Chole creamy and rich. However, you can add cashew cream, low-fat cream, or coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
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