Craving the irresistible flavours of street food but would rather skip the queues and enjoy it from the comfort of your home? You can bring those bold, spicy and comforting flavours straight to your kitchen with the right recipe. Cooking it yourself also puts you in control of the ingredients, allowing you to give a beloved street-food favourite a fresher, more wholesome twist – without losing the indulgence.
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Aathira Sethumadhavan, a certified nutritionist and chef known for creating flavour-packed, calorie-conscious recipes, has shared a recipe for the Lahori-Punjabi street-food classic, Chikkar Chole. In an Instagram video shared on August 28, she describes the dish as, “Meet Chikkar Chole – the Lahori-Punjabi street-food classic whose name literally translates to thick, muddy, mashy chickpeas, after that gravy – which is by far the best gravy I’ve ever had.”
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Check out the full recipe below!
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1¼ cups (250 g) dried chickpeas (kabuli chana)
- 1 medium potato (about 150 g), halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch cooking soda, optional
- Salt, to taste
- ⅓ cup (80 g) curd
- 2 medium onions (about 200 g), finely chopped
- 1-inch piece ginger (about 15 g), finely chopped, plus extra cut into juliennes
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
- 1½ tbsp (20 g) mustard oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp chana masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
Method
- Rinse the dried chickpeas thoroughly and soak them in enough water for at least eight hours or overnight. Drain and rinse them again before cooking.
- Transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pressure cooker along with the halved potato, bay leaf, a pinch of cooking soda, salt and enough water to cover the chickpeas. Pressure cook for about four to five whistles on high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for another five minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Once cooked, remove the potato and transfer it to a blender along with one tablespoon of the cooked chickpeas, curd and a splash of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat the mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is smoking hot. Add the finely chopped onions, ginger and green chillies. Sauté over medium heat until the onions turn deep golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning.
- Lower the heat and add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and chana masala. Stir well and cook the spices for a minute, adding a splash of water if the mixture starts sticking to the pan.
- Add the blended potato-curd mixture to the pan and stir continuously to combine it with the masala. Cook until the mixture thickens and the oil begins to separate from the gravy.
- Add the remaining cooked chickpeas along with some of their cooking liquid. Season with salt and sugar, then stir well. Allow the chole to simmer for several minutes, gently mashing some of the chickpeas against the sides of the pan. Continue cooking until the gravy becomes thick, creamy and slightly mushy – the characteristic consistency of chikkar chole.
- Heat the ghee in a small pan. Add the slit green chillies and ginger juliennes and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the kasuri methi and a pinch of hing, stirring briefly until fragrant.
- Pour the hot tadka over the chole and gently mix. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Approx nutrition (per serving of 280 g)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Protein: 14 g
- Carbohydrate: 52 g
- Fat: 13 g
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Check out the full recipe below!
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1¼ cups (250 g) dried chickpeas (kabuli chana)
- 1 medium potato (about 150 g), halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch cooking soda, optional
- Salt, to taste
- ⅓ cup (80 g) curd
- 2 medium onions (about 200 g), finely chopped
- 1-inch piece ginger (about 15 g), finely chopped, plus extra cut into juliennes
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
- 1½ tbsp (20 g) mustard oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp chana masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
Method
- Rinse the dried chickpeas thoroughly and soak them in enough water for at least eight hours or overnight. Drain and rinse them again before cooking.
- Transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pressure cooker along with the halved potato, bay leaf, a pinch of cooking soda, salt and enough water to cover the chickpeas. Pressure cook for about four to five whistles on high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for another five minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Once cooked, remove the potato and transfer it to a blender along with one tablespoon of the cooked chickpeas, curd and a splash of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat the mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is smoking hot. Add the finely chopped onions, ginger and green chillies. Sauté over medium heat until the onions turn deep golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning.
- Lower the heat and add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and chana masala. Stir well and cook the spices for a minute, adding a splash of water if the mixture starts sticking to the pan.
- Add the blended potato-curd mixture to the pan and stir continuously to combine it with the masala. Cook until the mixture thickens and the oil begins to separate from the gravy.
- Add the remaining cooked chickpeas along with some of their cooking liquid. Season with salt and sugar, then stir well. Allow the chole to simmer for several minutes, gently mashing some of the chickpeas against the sides of the pan. Continue cooking until the gravy becomes thick, creamy and slightly mushy – the characteristic consistency of chikkar chole.
- Heat the ghee in a small pan. Add the slit green chillies and ginger juliennes and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the kasuri methi and a pinch of hing, stirring briefly until fragrant.
- Pour the hot tadka over the chole and gently mix. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Approx nutrition (per serving of 280 g)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Protein: 14 g
- Carbohydrate: 52 g
- Fat: 13 g
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Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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