Chole curry-Garbanzo bean Curry(chickpea)

Chole curry was the very first recipe I have tried. This is one dish I'm famous for and I think its quite simple provided the gravy is done right.

Preparation time:40 minutes

Serves:6

Ingredients:

Chickpeas(cooked 3 cups)

2 ripe medium tomatoes pureed

1 1/2 medium onions pureed

1 teaspoon chole masala(I recommend the Shan brand)

2 teaspoons oil

5 green chilies ground along with the tomato.

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

pinch of turmeric

salt to taste

red chili powder(optional to taste)

Procedure:

1.Heat the oil in a pan and add the pureed onions add onion curry leaves paste and saute continuously on medium for 20 minutes until it reaches golden color. If you are a beginner, use chopped onions. Onion paste needs patience to cook properly or it will spoil your entire dish.

2.Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.

3.Now add the tomato puree and turmeric saute until it comes together until all the water has evaporated.

4.Now add 3 cups water and salt and chole masala and check the taste of your gravy. If you need you can add more red chili powder for spice.

5.Add the cooked chana and let boil for 10 minutes until the gravy thickens.

Tips:

The gravy is the most important to give flavor to the dish,don't burn it,have patience until it is done ,then only add tomato,wait until it is done and then only add the water.

This gravy recipe can be used for any spiced curries like chicken,egg,fish,crab,paneer etc.

This goes very well with Puri and Roti.

I use dry chick peas,soak them overnight and boil them in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle.Keep the water in which the chickpeas are boiled and add the same water in step 3.

This is the  basic recipe,various additions can be made to this,you can try the following

1.Add fresh grated coconut  when adding the chana in step 5.

2.Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk in step 4.

3.Add 1/2 cup of cashew paste(cashews ground in water) after step 3.

4.Add 1/2 cup of pureed white poppy seeds(gasa gasalu) after step 3.

5.Add boiled diced potato in step 5.