North Indian-------Chole

Chole is a spicy gravy dish prepared with chick peas and generally served with battura/puri.In restaurants dish Chole Bhatture is very heavy breakfast/snack item, and taste really good.Chole Batture is a speciality of  Punjabi cuisine.Also chick peas is very good source of proteins.
From many days i wanted to try Chole Batture and finally last month i prepared it for evening snack.My hubby and kids loved it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Chick peas(Kabuli chana)
• 1 onion finely chopped

• 3 tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger chopped
• 1 tsp garlic chopped
•  coriander leaves
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• sugar
• 1 tsp chana masala powder
• 1 tsp whole garam masala(bay leaves,1 cardamon,clove,black pepper,cinnamon whole or crush everything together)
• 1/2 tsp tea powder put it in small cheese cloth and tied to make tea bag
• seasoning
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1 tsp butter
• garnishing:
• coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• finely chopped tomatoes
• lemon juice

Method :
Soak Chick peas(chana) in water for overnight.Cook this soaked chana in pressure cooker adding 2 cups of water and little salt,turmeric powder,tea bag and 2 finely cut green chilies.the chana should be cooked properly but should not be over cooked  too.Tea bag is optional but it is used to get nice red color to the gravy.some use baking soda while cooking chana,here i did not use it.
Coarsely ground all whole garam masala  in coffee grinder.
Also you can use store bought chana masala or otherwise you can prepare at home.
Chana masala powder is nothing but combination of grama masala powder+coriander powder+cumin powder+amchur powder+pomegranate powder+chilli powder+turmeric powder .here is used MDH chana masala powder,but prepared at home really taste differ.
Chop onion and tomatoes and keep aside.If you want you can blanch tomatoes and make puree of it.
Ground together 2 green chilies,half of coriander leaves,ginger,garlic,1 tsp jeera and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds.try to dry grind this into paste.

Now take a wok add oil,jeera,whole garam masala crushed and when jeera is little roasted add this ground paste and stir for 1 minutes or till raw smells goes and then add onion.stir fry continuously till onion turns red color.
Now add sugar,tomatoes and stir fry for 1 minutes and cover the lid and let the tomatoes are completely cooked for 2-3 minutes.

Now add salt,Chana masala powder and stir fry for 1 minute.finally the cooked Chana with water.stir for 1 minute and mix it properly.cover the lid and let this simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring in between.let all the spice be absorbed by Chana while simmering.
Switch off the heat and garnish it with butter, remaining chopped coriander  leaves,finally chopped onions,lemon juice and finelly chopped tomatoes.

serve hot with Batturas or Puri's or any indian bread.