Secret Pindi Chole

Ingredients

Make the Spice Mix - we make our own masala 

We also grind all our masalas from scratch at home. For example we buy coriander seads, roast and grind it

Pindi Chola
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups raw chola (soak overnight or for 7-8 hours , but if you need it quickly can soak it in warm - hot water for 4-5 hours )
• 1 cup channa dal (washed) 
• 7 cups of water 
• Ready all the ingredients together and keep in a plate :
• 2 " pc ginger cut in julienne
• 5-10 green or red fresh chillies 
• 3 tbsp of channa masala or tikiya kashmiri masala 
• 1/4 cup dry pomegranate seeds ground to a paste or 
• 3 tbsp of annardana powder 
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1tbsp of roasted coriander powder
• 2 tbsp of cumin powder 
• 1 tbsp of roasted cumin powder 
• 1 tbsp of punjabi garam masala 
• 2 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground dry chilli
• 3/4 tbsp black salt 
• salt to taste (keeping in mind that salt was put during cooking and black salt is also there)

For the tarka

• 3 tbsp ghee 
• 1 1/4 tsp whole cumin 
• 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder 

Method

• Wash and soak the chola /chickpeas overnight or for 7-8 hours 
• If in a hurry can soak for 4-5 hours in warm- hot water .
• Wash and add the channa dal to the chola
• Then add 7 cups of water and a little salt (Use the same cup which was used for measuring the chola and channa dal) 
• Cook in a pressure cooker for 1/2 an hour after the first whistle on low flame .When done let the cooker open naturally.
• When the cooker opens 
• Need to check and see if the chola has become soft , if it is still a little under cooked , cook for few more minutes .
• When the cooker opens naturally 
• Add all the spices , ginger and green chillies to the boiled chola and cook on medium flame till the rawness of the spices goes .
• Cook on low to medium flame once it starts bubbling , keep stirring in between
• When the gravy becomes a little thick , it is ready .
• Have to leave a little more gravy than what you would like , as the gravy will thicken when it cools down .
• If that happens can add hot water and cook for few minutes 
• At this stage can check for salt, chillies and sourness
• Adjust according to taste .
• If you feel that you require a little more sourness can add dry mango powder as per taste .
• Lastly for the tarka , take a small pan add the ghee , warm it a little 
• Then add the whole cumin when it starts spluttering
• Add kashmiri red chilli powder
• Stir for few seconds
• Add to the cooked chola
• Take a little cooked chola and put it in the tarka pan and then add it to the chola
• Ready to serve