Recipe: Spicy Chole (A Chickpea Dish)

There are countless versions of this dish. I’ll probably be posting more, but here’s

Spicy Chole

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium or large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped or 1 can (14-oz.) of chopped/diced tomatoes
6 cups cooked chickpeas or 3 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or 1/2 tablespoon if aamchur powder is used
1 tablespoon cardamom powder or raw mango (aamchur or amchoor) powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon spicy garam masala (includes cinnamon and red pepper among other things)
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Cooking Instructions:
1) Heat oil in a large skillet.
2) Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. After a few minutes add the ground cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir frequently.
3) Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes, then put half into a blender along with the lemon juice and half a can (or 1 cup) of chickpeas. Liquify, adding water if needed, then pour the mixture back into the skillet.
4) Put skillet back on medium-high heat. Add remaining chickpeas, tomatoes, garam masala, turmeric, cardamom (or aamchur powder), paprika, and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes or until chickpeas and tomatoes are heated and softened. Add the cilantro after about 7 minutes. Don’t dry out the sauce; add water if needed.
5) Serve with rice or Indian flat breads (such as naan). Alternatively, you can eat the chole by itself.

Note: Cardamom and aamchur powder are distinctly different in flavor. Aamchur powder is tangy and sour. Cardamom is probably easier to find in the US, though you should be able to find both in your local Indian store. Don’t use both at once in this recipe though. You can essentially get two different versions of this dish, depending on which one you use.