Channa Masala | Chickpeas Masala | Chole

Chickpeas / Channa Masala

Ingredients:
Chickpeas - 1 cup (soaked overnight or for at least 8 hours)
Onion - 1 no. (Cut into fine pieces)
Green Chillies - 2 nos.
Tomato - 1 nos. (Cut into fine pieces)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tspn
Channa Masala - 2 tspn (You can use any brand you like)
Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn
Kasoori methi - 2 tspn
Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
Salt as per taste
Chilli powder 1/4 tspn (Optional)
Oil/Butter - 2 tspn
Jeera - 1/4 tspn

Method:
1) Pressure cook the soaked Channa for 15 mins or for 4-5 whistles along with salt and keep aside.
2) In a pan, add oil, once hot, add jeera and once they splutter, add onion and saute for a minute.
3) To this add salt, ginger garlic paste green chillies and saute for another 30 secs.
4) Now, add tomato and saute till they are soft and the onions, ginger garlic blends well together.
5) To this add, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and Channa masala powder and mix well. (If the mixture is turning too dry, you can add 1 tspn of water to avoid burning)
6) Now, add the cooked Channa along with the water if which its cooked and mix well. and bring it to a boil.
7) To this add kasoori methi and cook it with closed lid for 3-4 mins.
8) Check for the salt and add if required.
9) Garnish with Freshly chopped coriander, raw onions or grated ginger (As per your taste). Or you can also top it with 1 tspn of butter, which will add on to the taste and also add extra calories to your diet :)
10) Channa masala is ready to be served with any rotis / batura or even with steamed riced.

Note:
1) While  I wanted to make channa masala, I realised that I was running out of tomatoes at home, and so, I subsituted it with Tomato Sauce and 1 tspn of aamchur and it was tasting excellent.
2) You can also skip Onions and ginger garlic to this recipe, and yet it will taste equally good.

Cheers!
Madhavi