Regular chole served with bhature, kulcha or poori is a familiar favourite, but Punjab has a thicker, richer cousin of the dish called Chikkad Chole that most people outside the state have never tasted. The word chikkad means slightly thick, and that is exactly what defines this recipe, the gravy is thick and velvety because it is made by blending boiled potato with a portion of the boiled chickpeas themselves. Chef Sanjyot Keer has shared a full step by step recipe for anyone who wants to try this Chikkad Chole version at home.
What Gives Chikkad Chole Its Thick Texture
Unlike regular chole where the chickpeas are cooked in an onion tomato gravy, this Punjabi version gets its body from a paste of boiled potato and boiled chana blended together with garlic, ginger, green chilli, fresh coriander stems and curd. This paste is what makes the final gravy so thick and smooth once it is cooked with the tempering.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Kabuli chana (chickpeas) 1 cup, soaked for 8-10 hours
- Potato 1 medium sized
- Bay leaf (tej patta) 2
- Cinnamon (dalchini) 1 inch
- Black cardamom (badi elaichi) 2
- Cloves (laung) 5-6
- Water as required
- Garlic 10-12 cloves
- Ginger 2 inch
- Green chilli 3
- Fresh coriander stems
- Curd 1/2 cup
Ingredients For The First Tempering
- Mustard oil 2-3 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds (jeera) 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida (hing) 1/4 tsp
- Onion 2 small sized
- Chana masala 1.5 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
- Boiled chana
Ingredients For The Second Tempering
- Ghee 2 tablespoons
- Asafoetida (hing) 1/4 tsp
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) 1 tsp
- Green chilli 2
- Ginger, a handful
- Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp
- Fresh coriander, a handful
Step By Step Method
- Put the chana that has been soaked for 8-10 hours along with the potato into a pressure cooker. Tie 2 bay leaves, the cinnamon, 2 black cardamoms and 5-6 cloves in a small cotton potli and drop it into the cooker as well. Add water until it sits about an inch above the chana. Cook on medium flame for around 15 minutes.
- Once the cooker is opened, check that the potato is fully cooked and the chana has turned soft. Remove the potli. Take out the boiled potato and a little of the boiled chana into a separate bowl. Once slightly cooled, put this potato and chana into a mixer jar along with garlic, cloves, ginger, green chilli, fresh coriander stems and curd, and grind it into a fine paste. Keep it aside.
- Heat a kadhai and add mustard oil to it. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and chopped onion. Cook on high flame until the onion turns light golden brown, and once it turns red, add the ground paste. Stir it briefly, then add the chana masala and salt. Keep cooking on high flame and roast the masala until it stops sticking to the kadhai.
- Now add the boiled chana along with its water and mix everything well. Bring it to a boil. Once it boils, let it cook for 7-8 minutes. The gravy will visibly thicken. Switch off the flame.
- For the second tempering, heat a tadka pan and add ghee to it. Once the ghee is hot, temper it with asafoetida, kasuri methi, green chilli, ginger, Kashmiri red chilli powder and fresh coriander. Pour this tempering directly over the chole and mix well. Sprinkle fresh coriander on top and mix again.
How To Serve Chikkad Chole
The spicy Chikkad Chole is ready once the second tempering has been mixed in. Serve it piping hot with bread kulcha, bhature or poori for the complete Punjabi style meal.
