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Dishoom's Chole : Black Tea Chickpeas

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.
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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
 

  • Tip the chickpeas and their liquid into a small saucepan and add an extra tinful of water. Place over a medium heat, add the teabags (don’t let them burst) and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then take off the heat. Cover and leave to stand 8-24 hours.
  • Meanwhile Make the Onion-Tomato Masala. Warm a deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 300 ml oil, let it warm for a few seconds, then add 1.2 kg white onions, finely and evenly diced. They should simmer quite rapidly in the oil, without sizzling too much; don’t allow them to burn. As the onions begin to cook, they will release some water, which will quickly evaporate due to the heat of the oil. 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 burning. The onions are ready when they are soft in texture and deep brown in color, with no hints of burn or bitterness. This should take around 20-40 minutes. Prepare 35g garlic paste and 30g ginger paste, made by pureeing them in a small food processor with a little oil. Add these pastes to the onions in the skillet and sauté until light golden brown, stirring almost constantly. Add 1 3/4 – 2 teaspoons chili powder, 30g tomato puree, and 2 tsp fine seat salt. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add 600g chopped tomatoes, stir well and cook for 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, and carry on cooking. Measure 150g of the masala for the chole recipe and reserve in a bowl. Transfer the remaining masala into a clean jar. Cover and allow to cool, then store in the fridge and use within a week, or freeze in useful quantities.
  • 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 and mix nicely. Set aside. Using a pestle and mortar, give the cardamom pod a single, firm bash.
  • Warm a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the bay leaves, crush cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks to the pan and let them crackle for 1 minutes, stirring often. Be careful, it may spit a little.
  • Add the tomato puree mix, stir well for 1 minute, then turn the heat to low and add the onion-tomato masala. Sauté, stirring often, until you see the oil start to leave a paste around the edges, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquor, discard the teabags. Add the chickpeas to the saucepan along with 300ml of the liquor. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the garam masala, tamarind paste and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Dice the potatoes into chickpea-sized pieces and add to the pan. Stir gently, put the lid on and turn off the heat. Set aside to let the potatoes 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 lightly charred.
  • Serve the chole in a deep bowl topped with various garnishes like ginger matchsticks, fried chilies, lime wedges, red onion, and cilantro leaves. Raita is suggested on the side, with bhature to scoop everything up. I generally serve it with rice instead of bhature.