Punjabi Chole Recipe – No Onion No Garlic
"A very unique and delicate balance of spices with four recipe enhancements to create a perfect aroma to entice everybody and please your palate."
Serves 10 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 50 minutesWhy I Love This Recipe
This chole recipe can also be vegan, if we do not add paneer cubes at the end or substitute with extra firm Tofu. The authentic Amritsari Punjabi Chole Recipe requires onion and garlic, however several people do not use onion or garlic in their meal preparations. Therefore, I am sharing my take on onion and garlic free version of this most popular Amritsari Punjabi Chole recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
-2 cup Chickpeas boiled and some mashed
-1 kg Tomato 10 tomatoes puree ~ 4 cups puree
-200 gm Potatoes 1 medium sized boiled mashed
-250 gm Paneer small cubes
-20 gm Ginger 1 inch piece julienned
-5 gm Greenchilies 3-4 slits as per spice level
-15 gm Cilantro handful
Directions
1. Soak at least 6-8 hours or overnight. Put soaked and washed chickpeas in pressure cooker with 2.5 times fresh water of dry chickpeas quantity. Add 2 tbsp dry amla as well.
2. For Masala Bag, take all the ingredients from the masala bag group and crush them. Put them in a spice bag or make a potli using cheese cloth.
3. You can use either conventional pressure cooker, electric pressure cooker or Instant Pots. which are more common these days. If using instant pot, pressure cook on High for 25 minutes. NR (Natural Release) after 25 minutes are over. TIP: To save time, I have prepared the masala simultaneously on cooktop in a pan while chickpease are getting pressure cooked.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add hing, cumin seeds, ajwain and bay leaves.
5. Crush annardana in a mortel and pastel and add to hot oil.
6. Sauté them for few seconds. Now add jullien ginger and chilies. Sauté for a minute.
7. Add tomato puree and mix well.
8. Covered and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. At the end it should look like second picture below.
9. When you achive that consistency (like second picture), then add all the spices and mix well.
10. Add boiled and mashed potato Mix well, and cook for 5 minutes.
11. Add cooked chickpeas mix well. Add some water if needed.
12. Add tamarind pulp.
13. Add paneer cubes and cover to simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
14. Amritsari chole are ready. Serve with any of your flatbread and enjoy.