I am sharing this recipe on the request of Mr. Rahul. He messaged me that he found the recipe of bedhmi aloo while going through my blog, which reminded him of his childhood days. One of his childhood friend’s mother (who was a Kayastha) used to make bedhmi aloo and till today, Rahul remembers the taste of that dish. Rahul said that he would try the recipe of bedhmi aloo soon and he asked me about a number of other dishes that his friend’s mom used to make. He wanted to recreate the taste of his childhood by cooking all these dishes for his family. Fortunately, I can cook all the dishes, which he had mentioned. I was immensely touched by his letter that I am sharing a recipe of his choice. So, Rahul, this is your first recipe, ‘Chhole without onion, garlic and tomato’. I think you will get the same taste which lingers on your tongue. Please share your feedback with me.
The best thing about this dish is that it’s very nutritious. Kabuli chana (chhole) contains a range of nutrients, including protein, which is necessary for bones, muscles and skin health.
For people who are cutting down on meat consumption, a dish of kabuli chana and rice/roti, for example can contribute a significant amount of protein to the diet. A bowl of chhole provides almost 1/3 of an adult’s daily protein needs.
One-fourth cup of dried chhole contains about 190 calories, 2 grams fat, but no saturated fat, no cholesterol and no sodium, 560 mg potassium, 31 grams carbohydrate, 17 grams fibre, 1 gram sugar, and 11 grams protein. This recipe needs very little oil. You can put only one tsp of oil just for tadka and you will not at all compromise with the taste.
So please try this recipe. Enjoy chhole with roti/rice/parantha or bhatura
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Total Time: 1hr 30 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients:
Spices to Dry Roast:
Dry coriander seeds - 1.5 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 2
Cloves - 3 to 4
Dry red chilli - 4 to 5
Cinnamon - 1 small stick
Cardamon - 2
Black Pepper – 10 to 15
Other ingredients:
Chhole (White chickpeas ) - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin seeds (Zeera) - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - ¼ tsp
Chopped or sliced Ginger - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 1 slice
Fresh Coriander - 3 to 4 tsp (chopped)
Black salt – ¾ tsp
Dry mango powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt to taste
R ed Chilli Powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Method:
1. Wash and soak chhole for at least 6 to 7 hrs, or soak in warm water for at least 3 hrs.
2. Take a pressure cooker. Add soaked chhole, 1 ½ glass of water and ½ tsp salt in it. Close the lid and cook till 3 to 4 whistles, and then cook on slow flame for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, dry roast all spices (which we had kept for dry roast) in a wok or tawa.
4. Cool the roasted spices for some time and grind to a smooth powder and keep it aside.
5. Heat the oil in wok. Once heated, add zeera, hing, green chillies, chopped ginger and bay leaves. Roast it for a second. Now, add 2 to 3 spoons of ground dry powder and a little water. Roast for some time.
6. Add boiled chhole.
7. Add salt, black salt, dry mango powder and a glass of water.
8. Crush the chhole using a ladle. This will give you a thick gravy.
9. Cook chhole on medium flame. Stir occasionally. Cook till you get desired the consistency.
11. Now put chhole in a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
12. Serve hot chole with roti/bhatura/kulcha/parantha/rice.
Tips:
Before putting chhloe in the masala, crush some of it with your hands. This will give you a nice and thick gravy.
If you feel that ground masala quantity is more than required, don’t add the extra masala to chhole. You can preserve masala for the future.
If you want to make diet chhole so use only one tsp oil. Or else, if you don’t want to add oil so you can skip it altogether. Add all the dry spices , dry ground masala and chopped ginger and green chillies to the boiled chhole. Add water and boil it on a medium heat until you get the desired consistency. You will get almost the same taste.