PURI CHOLEY

 Chole


Ingredients 

2 cup white chick peas (soak overnight in 6 cups of water)
To cook the  channa it has be soaked 
in water and pressure cooked. It is
necessary to ensure that the channa is
 soaked in plenty of water for 6 hours, 
preferably overnight. Wash and pressure 
cook in good amount of water, since the 
channa will first bloat to third its size on 
soaking, then double that on pressure 
cooking.
Pressure cook for at least 6 whistles, to 
be done. Many add cooking soda to soften 
the channa but I think that spoils the taste. 
While cooking the channa, add a small pouch 
of muslin cloth in which a tsp of tea leaves 
have been tied. You can also add a 
bayleaf and a stick of cinnamon.

1 tsp tea leaves (tied into a small muslin 
cloth to form a pouch)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup tomato puree
1 large onion
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp chilli pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
3 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1/4 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp punjabi chole masala (any good brand)
salt
1 cup water
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Pressure cook the white chick peas till 
soft but not mushy. Make a paste of 3
 tbsps of the boiled chick peas. Keep 
aside the boiled chick peas along with 
the left over water (used to pressure
 cook the chickpeas) and the boiled
 chick peas paste.
Grind onions to a paste.


Method:

Soak chick peas in water overnight and cook 
them. If canned peas are used, wash the peas 
3 times.
Blanch tomatoes (heat water and cook the
 whole tomato for 4 minutes). Blend into a 
smooth paste.
Dry roast all masalas from cardamom to black 
pepper and powder them.
Heat oil/ghee, fry onions and ginger-garlic 
paste till the onions turn slightly brownish.

Add the tomato paste and the masala powder,
 chili powder, salt (add less salt as the masala 
has rock salt in it). Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 
the cooked chick peas, kasoori methi and cook
 for another 5mins. Garnish with coriander
 leaves.
Serve hot with puri, roti or paratha.


Method to prepare puris:

Take a bowl and mix together 1 
cup wholewheat flour, a dash of 
ghee or oil and pinch of salt. Make a well
 in center and slowly pour warm water 
and a little milk to make a smooth stiff 
dough (not too stiff nor too soft). It 
should be a slightly firm dough. Let it 
sit covered for 5-10 minutes. Divide 
dough into small lemon-sized balls and 
roll them out using a rolling pin, slightly 
thicker than rotis. The rolled out puris 
should be circular shaped around 5-6 cms 
in diameter.

puri


Heat enough oil for deep frying the puris. 
Slowly slide the rolled out puris into the 
hot oil and press gently with the spatula 
so that it puffs up with the steam and 
swell up like a balloon and turns golden 
brown with a light crisp. (If it doesn’t rise 
immediately to the surface it means the 
oil hasn’t reached the correct 
temperature for frying)
 Flip the puri to 
cook the other side for 20 seconds 
till it turns golden brown. Drain the puris 
ensuring all the oil has been drained along 
the sides of the cooking vessel. Remove 
onto a absorbent paper towel.
If the oil is the right temperature the 
puris will puff up within seconds of sliding 
into the hot oil. Serve piping hot with 
chole or potato curry. 
served immediately on frying.