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chole (chickpeas) in a bowl with pooris (Indian bread) on the side
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Punjabi Chole Recipe (Chickpea Curry Recipe)

This Punjabi chole recipe is a hearty vegan curry made with boiled chickpeas, onions, tomatoes and a medley of spices. It tastes divine with freshly made puri or bhatura (Indian breads), and even plain rice. Easy as 1,2,3 in the instant pot!
Course Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine Indian
Keyword chana masala, Indian chickpea curry, Punjabi chole
Prep Time 19 hours
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 373.2kcal
Author Saima Zaidi

Equipment

  • 6-quart Instant Pot Duo

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chickpeas soaked overnight in 2 cups water
  • ⅓ cup cooking oil
  • 1 cup red onion diced
  • 1 cup tomatoes diced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 2 tablespoon Everest chole masala
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped onion for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped tomato for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilli for garnishing
  • juice of half a lime optional
  • salt to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Drain the soaked chickpeas and put them in the inner pot of the Instant Pot along with 4 cups of water and salt. Close the lid and make sure the vent is in sealing position. Press the pressure cooking button and set the timer to 30 minutes. Release the pressure after 10 minutes. Open the lid and take out the chickpeas along with any remaining liquid in a bowl and keep aside.
  • Cancel the pressure cooking mode and press saute mode. Add ⅓ cup cooking oil. Add onions and saute until pink. Tip in the ginger and garlic pastes, chopped tomatoes, and all the powdered spices. Cook until the oil leaves the sides of the pot and the masala becomes shiny. Keep adding water little by little to prevent the masala from sticking to the bottom of the pot. (8-10 minutes)
  • Add the boiled chickpeas and saute again for 5 minutes.
  • Take them out in a bowl and garnish with the chopped onion, tomatoes and green chilli. Sprinkle some lime juice over the chole if you wish to.

Notes

  1. If you don't have the time to soak and boil the chickpeas, simply use 2 chickpea cans. Follow the recipe from step 2 in the recipe card and add the canned chickpeas and 1 cup water after preparing the masala. Pressure cook for 3 minutes only with 5 minutes QPR (Quick Pressure Release).
  2. Everest chole masala is readily available in Indian groceries, but you can make your own masala if you want to. Add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1 teaspoon mango powder or amchur in addition to the other powdered spices in the recipe.
  3. Pomegranate powder tastes lovely in chole, but if you don't have it, use 1 tablespoon tamarind paste which is more readily available.

Nutrition

Calories: 373.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.9g | Protein: 9.2g | Fat: 18.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15.5g | Sodium: 464.1mg | Fiber: 8.9g | Sugar: 2.8g