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malai chole in a bowl
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Malai Chole (No Onion No Garlic)

By: Jigna
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.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Diet: No Onion No Garlic, Vegetarian

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Nutrition (Approximate Values)

Calories : 343kcalCarbohydrates : 37gProtein : 13gFat : 17gSaturated Fat : 5gPolyunsaturated Fat : 3gMonounsaturated Fat : 7gTrans Fat : 0.03gCholesterol : 23mgSodium : 87mgPotassium : 607mgFiber : 10gSugar : 9gVitamin A : 325IUVitamin C : 5mgCalcium : 147mgIron : 5mg
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