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–+ servings
amritsari chole in a serving bowl

Amritsari Chole (No Onion No Garlic)

By Jigna
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.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Soaking Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Cuisine Indian, North Indian
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Diet Jain, No Onion No Garlic, Vegetarian
Servings 4

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Anardana: If you do not have Anardana, you can skip adding them. Instead, add amchur or lemon juice for the tanginess.
  5. 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.
  6. 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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