Chole

Ingredients for  4  Servings

• 250g

  Dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
• 1

  Strong tea bag (English breakfast)
• 1 tsp

  Baking powder
• 1 tsp

  Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp

  Black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp

  Coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp

  Ghee or vegetable oil
• 2

  Dried bay leaves
• 150g

  Onion, thinly sliced
• 5cm

  Piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2

  Bird’s-eye green chillies, finely chopped
• 120g

  Fresh tomatoes, chopped
• ½ tsp

  Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp

  Garam masala
• 2 tsp

  Amchoor (dried mango powder)
• Handful

  Coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• -

  Salt

Approximate Times

• Preparation :

  Less than 30 minutes
• Cooking :

  1 to 2 hours

Method

1. Tip the chickpeas into a large saucepan with 2 litres water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the tea bag and baking powder, and cook for another 20 minutes. Drain the chickpeas, discarding the tea bag and reserving 500ml of the cooking water. Set aside.
2. Crush the cumin seeds, peppercorns and coriander seeds to a coarse mixture using a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
3. Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy-bottomed large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaves and onion and fry for 15 minutes. Add the ginger and chillies, stir well, then add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
4. Add the crushed spices, Kashmiri chilli powder and cooked chickpeas, stirring well to coat the chickpeas in the masala. Add the reserved cooking water and season to taste with salt. Cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through as the chole thickens and becomes mushy.
5. Remove from the heat and stir through the garam masala, amchoor and coriander. Serve with puris or bhaturas.