PESHAWARI CHOLE

Ingredients

for cooking chickpeas

2 cup dried white chickpeas
5 cups water for pressure cooking
4 black cardamoms
2 inch cinnamon
6  cloves
2 medium indian bay leaf
2 black tea bag
salt to.taste

for making the gravy

 2  onions, finely chopped
 5 large tomatoes, finely chopped
 3  tsp ginger garlic paste
 5 green chilies, slit
 2  tsp pomegranate seeds powder
(crush 1 tsp dried roasted pomegranate seeds in a mortar-pestle and for more tang add 2 tsp more of anardana powder)
1  tsp red chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 cup water
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and for garnishsalt to your tante
2 tbsp ghee

to be served with

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium lime or lemon, quartered or sliced

Method


pressure cooking chickpeas

Soak the dried white chickpeas overnight in water, drain and rinse them.
In a cooker take the chickpeas, black cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and indian bay leaf along with black tea bag and the water.
 Pressure cook the chickpeas for 10 to 12 whistles or till the chickpeas have softened and completely cooked.

prepping

powder the pomegranate seeds in a small grinder or mortar-pestle to a fine powder,finely chop the onions and tomatoes,also add the ginger garlic.paste ,slit the green chilies and chop the coriander leaves.

preparing peshawari chole gravy:

Heat 4 tbsp oil ,2 tbsp ghee in a pan, add 3 tsp ginger garlic paste and 6 slit green chilies. saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away,add the chopped onions. stir and saute the onions on a low to medium flame till they turn golden,add the  chopped tomatoes,add the spice powders red chili powder, tsp cumin powder, coriander powder,mix very well and saute till the tomatoes become mushy and you see fat releasing from the sides of the masala.
Add the chickpeas ,reserve the stock stir well and add the pomengranate seeds powder and  stock or water.Season with salt. stir very well and simmer the garam masala till the gravy thickens. mash a few chickpeas which helps in thickening the gravy,about 15 minutes on a low to medium flame.Lastly add  garam masala powder. stir and mix very well.Serve hot with some chapatis, naan, pooris or bhatura.

Notes

substitutions
pomegranate seeds - 1 tsp dry pomegranate seeds
 garam masala powder - chana masala powder