Methi Chole

Chole, a famous Punjabi food is one of our family favorites too.. As I have abundant home grown methi leaves ( fenugreek leaves ), I opted to make "Methi Chole" side dish for my chappathis. This time, I was keen in making the dish in a traditional punjabi way. On a snowy winter day, a plate of hot chappathis/rotis with a side of hot spicy chole definitely adds joy to the day. This time, I referred to my small recipe slip which i have been preserving since years given by my Delhi neighbour. In those days, my punjabi friend used to feed us with so many specialities. Chole was one of them in her list. Thanks to her tips and recipe, I am blogging this Protein Packed Methi Chole with you all...

Ingredients

Chickpeas / White Channa / Garbanzo Beans / Vellai Kondakadai - 2 Cups

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1 Big

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1 Pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh Fenugreek Leaves / Methi Leaves - 2 Cups

Cinnamon Sticks - 2

Lavang/Cloves - 4 or 5

Bay Leaves - 2 or 3

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Anardana Powder - 1 tbsp

Punjabi Chole Powder - 1 tbsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger Grated - 2 tsp

Butter or ghee - 1 tsp ( For Flavour, its optional)

Method

• Wash and soak the Chickpeas / white channa in water for overnight or for 6-7 hours in warm water.
• Pressure cook them along with a cinnamon stick for 6-7 whistles till the channa get cooked well. Take 2 tbsp of cooked channa and mash them well and keep the paste aside.
• Meantime, cut the onions, tomato, green chillies into small pieces and keep them ready. Wash the fenugreek leaves thoroughly without any sand and chop them nicely.
• Keep all the required powders aside.
• In any suitable cooking pan of your choice ( mostly i make them in the used pressure cooker itself), add butter/ghee and oil first. When its heated, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, onion pieces first.
• Fry them till the onion turns golden brown. Add the fenugreek leaves at this stage. On a low flame, fry the methi leaves for few minutes.
• Add the tomato pieces along with all other powders, little salt, pinch of sugar and a cup of water and cook them well.
• Add the well cooked channa into the gravy along with the mashed channa paste.
• Cover the cooking pan with the lid and cook them for few more minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve with hot rotis/chapathis.