Chickpea (CHOLE)

Chole with hot bhaturas (deep fried puffy tart soft bread) are a favorite of many! It brings back memories of road-side dhabas (make-shift restaurants) in India, that serve it with lots of onion, cilantro, green chillies and lime garnish. And no matter how well people make it at home, it just never tastes like the dhabas.

Take 2 cups of dry garbanzo, soak them overnight. Then pressure cook for 20 minutes or 3 whistles. Add enough water to just float above the garbanzos.

In another pot, pour 3-4 tbsp of oil, heat it and add -
2 tsp cumin
3-4 bay leaves
2 cinamon sticks
3-4 green chillies slit through part way through
1 tsp asafoetida
2 tbsp julined ginger
blend of 1 tomato, 1/2 white onion
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp red chilly powder
3 tbsp pomogranate powder
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

Saute everything well, reducing water content and till the mixture becomes lumpy and does not stick in the pot anymore. You'll see oil separate from it.

Now add to it the pressure cooked garbanzo. Salt to taste, followed by -
1/2 tsp of rock (pink) salt
2 tsp of roasted cumin powder
2 tsp garam masala (Indian all-spice)

At this point, after 1 boil, I invert all the pot content back into the pressure cooker for 1 last cook (7 minutes). I like half the garbanzo mashed up, so if the cooker didnt do it, then I mash em with a potato masher. Add some more water and let everything simmer for 10-15minutes so the garbanzo can soak in all the flavors. Keep slow boiling till you reach a desired consistency. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

And for a final touch, serve a side salad of -
1 onion sliced
3-4 sliced red top raddish
1-2 chopped green chillies
1 cap full vingar
roasted cumin powder
cubes of fresh lime
salt to taste