Amritsari Chole
Add 1 Amritsari Chole potli while pressure-cooking the soaked chickpeas. Remove it as soon as the chickpeas are tender.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Dried kabuli chana — 1½ cups / 300 g
- Water — 5 cups, plus more as needed
- Salt — 1½ tsp, or to taste
Zaika Potli
- Amritsari Chole — 1 potli
For the Masala
- Ghee or oil — 2 tbsp
- Onion — 2 medium / about 220 g, finely chopped
- Ginger — 1 tbsp, grated
- Garlic — 1 tbsp, grated
- Green chilli — 1, finely chopped
- Tomatoes — 2 medium / about 220 g, finely chopped
- Coriander powder — 2 tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder — ¾ tsp
- Turmeric — ¼ tsp
For Finishing
- Amchur — ½ tsp, only if extra tang is required
- Fresh coriander — 2 tbsp, chopped
- Ginger juliennes — 1 tbsp
- Lemon wedges — to serve
Cooking Instructions
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1Wash the chickpeas and soak them overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse.
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2Transfer to a pressure cooker with 5 cups fresh water and the Amritsari Chole potli.
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3Pressure-cook until the chickpeas are completely tender but still hold their shape, generally 25–35 minutes under pressure depending on the age of the chickpeas.
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4Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the potli and reserve the chickpeas with their cooking liquid.
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5Heat ghee or oil in a heavy kadai. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until deep golden, not merely translucent.
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6Add ginger, garlic and green chilli and cook for 1–2 minutes.
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7Add tomatoes, coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric. Cook until the tomatoes darken, lose their raw aroma and the fat begins separating around the edges.
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8Add the cooked chickpeas along with about 1½ cups cooking liquid.
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9Mash 2–3 tablespoons of chickpeas against the side of the pan to naturally thicken the gravy.
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10Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until the masala coats the chickpeas and the gravy becomes glossy.
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11Taste before adding amchur. The potli already contains anardana and amla, so add extra sourness only if needed.
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12Adjust salt and finish with coriander and ginger juliennes.
Do not automatically add tea bags, whole amla or another full set of whole spices to the cooker—the potli already supplies those aromatic and colour-building elements.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Amritsari Chole
Amritsari chole should be deeply savoury, earthy and tangy rather than merely hot. The Amritsari Chole potli is particularly well suited because its dry amla, tea leaves, anardana and whole spices build the dark aromatic base traditionally associated with Punjabi chole, while the onion-tomato masala provides the body.
The Secret: Do not automatically add tea bags, whole amla or another full set of whole spices to the cooker—the potli already supplies those aromatic and colour-building elements.