Authentic Amritsari Pindi Chole
Dark, robust, and tangy chickpeas slow-cooked with whole spices and tea bag infusion
Recipe Overview
Ingredients Checklist
Check off items as you prep your mis-en-place.
Step-by-Step Cooking Method
Step 1
~25 minsPressure cook soaked chickpeas with black tea bags, black cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and water for 6-7 whistles until melt-in-mouth tender. Discard tea bags.
Step 2
~8 minsIn a cast iron kadai, roast Punjabi Chole Masala, anardana, and sonth in 3 tbsp hot ghee with cumin and green chillies.
Step 3
~15 minsAdd boiled chana along with cooking broth. Mash a few spoonfuls against the sides of the pan to thicken the gravy. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
Step 4
~5 minsFinish with a sizzling ghee tadka of ginger juliennes and slit green chillies. Serve with piping hot bhature or kulche.
Never Overheat Ground Aromatics
Whole spices (like cumin, mustard, cardamom) thrive in sizzling oil to crackle their essential oil vesicles. Stone-ground powders should be added only after onions/tomatoes are softened, or mixed with a dash of water to avoid scorching the delicate volatile flavour compounds.
