Pindi chole recipe (pindi chana) - a dry version of making white chickpeas/kabuli chana. This is healthy, delicious and protein packed dish.
As the name says, this chana recipe is from Rawalpindi, Punjab (a region of Pakistan). This is one of the simple and quick recipe made from chole.
There are no onion-tomato added in the dish like other punjabi chole recipes. So no chopping, grinding is required. Also this pindi chole is dry dish unlike the gravy version of chole.
To make it delicious and flavorful, only spice powders and ginger-garlic paste is added. At the end fresh lemon juice is squeezed. Lastly it is served with slit green chili and sliced onions.
Traditionally no tea bags are added while pressure cooking the chana. But here I have cooked a big batch of chana with tea bags. I have used some for making aloo chole. For the rest I have freeze them and used next week for making this pindi chole.
I always pressure cook the white chickpeas in large batch. Divide them in portions and freeze them in individual ziplock bags. boiled chana freeze well for a month. As being chole lover family, I cook them once a week. If I have frozen boiled chana, I can make any chole dish very quickly.
Check out other kabuli chana recipes
Amritsari chole // Chole bhature // No onion no garlic chole
How to make pindi chole recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Wash the dried chana under running cold water till water runs clear.
2) Soak them in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. After soaking time, they will get doubled in size. Discard the soaking water.
3) Add fresh 2 cups of water. Also add black cardamom, cinnamon stick and tea bags.
4) Cover the cooker with lid, put the weight on and turn the heat on high. Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on High + 15 mins on low heat. Or cook it till they are soft and cooked. Let the pressure go down by itself then open the lid. because of the tea bags, water and chata get darker color. Drain the water. Discard the tea bags and whole spices.
5) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add ginger paste and garlic paste.
6) By stirring it saute for a minute or till the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
7) Now add all the spice powders (red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, anardana powder and garam masala).
8) Mix it and cook for only 30 seconds.
9) Immediately add cooked, drained chana and salt. Add chana right away otherwise spices may get burn.
10) Stir well, lower the heat to lowest and cook for 5-6 minutes.
11) Then turn off the stove. Lastly squeeze the fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
12) Remove it to a serving bowl. Garnish with green chili and sliced onions.
If making not making for guests, no need to garnish it.
Serving suggestion: Serve with roti/phulka, paratha or naan. It can be served with puri or bhatura. Serve slit green chili and sliced onions on side.
Pindi chole recipe (Pindi chana recipe)
Ingredients
For pressure cooking:
- ½ cup Dried white chickpeas (Chole or kabuli chana or safed chana)
- 2 cups Water
- ½ inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 Black cardamom
- 1 Tea bags optional
For making pindi chole recipe:
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- ½ teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- ¾ teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala or chole masala
- ½ teaspoon Anardana powder (Dried pomegranate seeds powder)
- Salt to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Lemon juice
- 1 Green chili slit, to serve on side or for garnishing
- ½ of small Onion Sliced, to serve on side or for garnishing
Instructions
Soaking and pressure cooking chana:
- Wash the dried chana under running cold water till water runs clear.
- Soak them in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After soaking time. Discard the soaking water.
- Take soaked chana into pressure cooker, add fresh 2 cups of water. Also add black cardamom, cinnamon stick and tea bags.
- Cover the cooker with lid, put the weight on and turn the heat on high.
- Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on High + 15 mins on low heat. Or cook it till they are soft and cooked.
- Let the pressure go down by itself then open the lid. Discard the tea bags and whole spices.
- Drain the liquid using strainer and keep boiled chana aside.
Making pindi chole recipe:
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Once hot add ginger paste and garlic paste. By stirring it saute for a minute
- Now add all the spice powders. Mix it and cook for only 30 seconds.
- Immediately add cooked, drained chana and salt.
- Stir well, lower the heat to lowest and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Then turn off the stove.
- Lastly squeeze the fresh lemon juice. Mix well.
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