Pindi Cholay Recipe

This is a recipe that gets everyone excited at home. And it was a request for Easter lunch. Pindi Cholay is not like Cholay masala. No tomato, no onion. This recipe is delicious with a side of salad and poori. For easter we used the sourdough discard and made them into poori. The discard adds a lovely fluffy texture to the pooris.

I've divided the process for this amazing dish in three parts. Like all good this dish takes time and its well worth the wait.

Pindi Cholay

Ingredients

Part 1 - The Chana - This is the beginning of the trilogy, it sets the tone, the stage and get this wrong you've lost the dish. Yes the pressure is on! Dum dum dum......

Kabuli Chana - 1 cup soaked

1 tea bag

1 black cardamom

1 small piece of cinnamon

5 cloves

1/2 tsp baking soda

Dried Amla 5 or a small piece of skin of a dried pomegranate (optional but highly recommended)

1 tsp salt

Enough water to just cover the chana.

Part 2 - The masala - This step like all Part 2's is a set up for the finale. 

1 tsp (or 2) of chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp haldi

1 tsp jeera/cumin powder

1 tsp anardana powder

1 tsp aamchur powder

1 tsp black salt

1 tsp Kasuri methi powder

1 tsp ginger powder

Notes:

1. I understand all pantries may not have aamchur or anardana, use lime or tamarind. These two ingredients add tang to the dish. If you are using lime or tamarind, use it in step 6

2. As I cook for kids we make this dish mild, play around with the spices and adjust to what works for you. If I was cooking for adults, I'd up chilli powder and the Kasuri methi.

Part 3 - The tempering - This vital step brings it all together. 

2 tbsp ghee

1 tsp oil

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 inch of ginger julienned (yes fancy but adds a lot to the finished product, do not skip this)

1 tsp ajwain/carrom seeds (substitute with jeera)

3-4 slit chillies

3-4 garlic crushed (optional)

Coriander leaves for garnish

Let's get started:

Step 0 - Soak the chana for at least 14 hours (overnight). Don't skimp on this step. Wash the chana well in the morning after the overnight soak.

Step 1 - Take all ingredients in part 1, toss it in pressure cooker. Give it 6-10 whistles on medium flame and let the pressure drop naturally. Check for doneness. If not done, give it a few more whistles till you are satisfied with doneness. Note, I don't like the chana too mushy so 8 whistles are just right for me.

Step 2 - While the pressure drops in the cooker gather all the ingredients in Part 2 in a bowl and mix it well. Yes that's all there is to step 2. And let's call this mixture, "magic masala".

Step 3 - Once you're happy with how the chana is cooked,  move just the chana in a wide karahi (like below). Throw out the teabag and hunt for the whole spices and throw them out. No one likes to bite into black cardamom. Yuck. Save the water, this is gold. I repeat, Do not throw the water.

Step 4 - Spread the magic masala on the chana. 

Step 5 - In another pan, heat up the ghee and oil mixture. Once hot, add the ajwain, chopped ginger, julienned ginger, chillies and fry till you see a slight change in the color. then pour it over the magic masala and chana. 

Step 6 - Now switch on the karahi and add some of the water we reserved from chana.  Let it simmer for 10 minutes on low flame. It will all come together in this amazingly delicious pindi cholay. 

Step 7 - Garnish (with coriander), serve (with poori or bhature) and devour (with a side of onion salad.)