Over the years, my favorite Indian chickpea recipe has been the lemony khatte chhole, (the most popular recipe on my blog.) In the last few months I’ve attempted to break out of my rut, experimenting with other Indian chickpea recipes. None excited me until I found a used copy of the beloved Dishoom cookbook. Dishoom’s chole recipe swept me away. The chickpeas simmer in strong black tea and steep for hours, which gives the dish a deep warmth and fragrance. I am hooked.
If you haven’t seen the Dishoom cookbook yet, I highly recommend it. There are many good cookbooks out there, but this is something special. It’s a love letter to old Bombay cafes, filled with vintage photos, a hand drawn map with personal landmarks, and carefully crafted recipes. I love that the book is organized by time of day, what we gravitate toward each hour. Another favorite recipe from Dishoom is a sweet-savory shortbread cookie studded with cumin seeds, designed to be paired with chai.
Back to the chole. Even though the recipe calls for canned chickpeas, be warned that it’s not a speedy dish. If you make ahead the onion-tomato masala and chickpeas steeped in tea, it can come together quickly at the end, but keep in mind those earlier key steps. The chickpeas need to steep in tea a full 8-24 hours. The first time I made the recipe, I hadn’t noticed that detail until I was in the midst of cooking dinner. I was able to steep the chickpeas for an hour before combining them with the rest of the meal, but when I cooked it a second time a week later and let them steep the full amount, I was rewarded with a richer flavor.
One interesting feature of this recipe is the onion-tomato masala sub-recipe, slow-tempered onions and tomatoes with ginger, garlic, chili, salt, and oil to make a base for various recipes. Don’t worry, it isn’t a lazy base “gravy” to make all of your curries the taste same. A few tablespoons of this masala will give depth to a dish, making it taste like it was cooked longer than it was, or as Dishoom puts it, “unparalleled depth, aroma, and flavor, the kind that can only be yielded from slow, careful cooking.” The onion-tomato masala recipe makes a big batch you can keep in your fridge or freezer. I kept mine in this big mason jar for a week in the fridge, ladling portions out when needed, and using the hot oil to fry eggs (then froze the rest in smaller portioned-out quantities).
Dishoom’s original chole recipe makes a small amount, only serving 2. I like to double the recipe to have more on hand for the rest of the week. The doubled quantities are what I typed here for you. I subbed garam masala for the “chana masala” spice mix which I couldn’t find at my local Indian grocery, and I switched green for black cardamom since that’s what I keep on hand for my morning tea. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Ingredients
- 800 g canned chickpeas
- 6 English breakfast teabags (I used Ahmad)
- 2 medium potatoes (240g), halved
- 70 g tomato puree or passata
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 green cardamom pods (or 2 black)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons tamarind juice
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
150 g of the Onion-Tomato Masala (Recipe Follows)
- 300 ml veg oil
- 1.2 kg white onions
- 35 g garlic paste
- 30 g ginger paste
- 1 3/4 – 2 teaspoons teaspoons chili powder
- 30 g tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 600 g chopped tomatoes
For the Fried Chilies (Garnish)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 green chilies (or fewer if you prefer)
- a pinch of fine sea salt
To Serve
- red onion, diced (optional)
- cilantro leaves, torn (optional)
- ginger matchsticks
- lime wedges
- raita (optional)
- bhature (suggested, but I serve it with basmati rice)
Instructions
For the Onion-Tomato Masala
- Warm a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, let it warm a few seconds, and then add the onions. They should simmer quite rapidly in the oil. Don't allow them to burn. Let the onions caramelize to a deep brown color, stirring very frequently and almost constantly. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent them from burning.
- Add the garlic and ginger pastes and sauté until light golden brown, stirring almost constantly. Add the chili powder, tomato puree, and salt. Sauté 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir well and cook about 20 minutes, stirring very regularly. The tomatoes need to completely break down and caramelize a little in the oil. If the pan starts to dry up before this happens, add 1-2 tablespoons water.
For the Chickpeas
- Tip the chickpeas and their liquid into a small saucepan and add an extra can-full of water. Place over medium heat. Add the teabags, not letting them burst, and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes then take off the heat. Cover and leave to stand 8-24 hours.
- Simmer the potatoes in a small pan of salted water until just tender. Drain and leave to cool.
- Put the tomato puree, garam masala, cumin and salt into a small bowl. Mix and set aside. Use a mortal and pestle to bash the cardamom pods.
- Warm a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the bay leaves, crushed cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks to the pan. Let them crackle for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add the tomato puree mix, stir well for 1 minute, then turn the heat to low and add 150g of the onion-tomato masala. Sauté, stirring often, around 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the teabags. Add the chickpeas to the saucepan along with 300ml of their cooking liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the garam masala, tamarind paste, and lime juice. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Dice the potatoes into chickpea-sized pieces. Add them to the pan. Stir gently, put the lid on and turn off the heat. Set aside to let the potato warm through.
For the Fried Chilies
- Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chilies and salt, and sauté 2-3 minutes until soft and charred.
To Serve
- Serve the Chole in a deep bowl, topped with the ginger, fried chilies, and lime wedges, and the optional chopped onions and cilantro.
