Chikkar Chole
A classic Lahori-Punjabi street-food dish featuring thick, creamy, mashed chickpeas in a rich, spiced gravy.
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Ingredients
- 1¼ cups Chickpeas
- 1 Potato (medium)
- 1 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cooking Soda (optional; added while pressure cooking)
- ⅓ cup Cottage Cheese (yogurt used in authentic recipe)
- 2 Onion (medium; finely chopped)
- 1 Ginger (inch; finely chopped plus extra for julienne)
- 4 Green Chili (2 chopped; 2 slit for tadka)
- 1½ tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee (for tadka)
- ½ tsp Turmeric (powder)
- 2 tsp Chili Powder (red; powder)
- 2 tsp Coriander (powder)
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
- 1 Hing
- 1 tsp White Sugar
- 1 Table Salt (to taste)
- 1 Cilantro (leaves; to finish)
Instructions
- 1
Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 8 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- 2
Pressure cook the chickpeas with the halved potato, bay leaf, a pinch of cooking soda, salt, and enough water to cover—about 4–5 whistles on high, then simmer for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- 3
In a blender, combine the cooked potato, 1 tbsp of cooked chickpeas, the curd, and a splash of water. Blend until smooth.
- 4
Heat mustard oil until smoking hot. Add the onion, chopped ginger, and chopped green chilies, then cook until golden.
- 5
Stir in the turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and chana masala. Mix well.
- 6
Pour in the curd puree mixture and cook, stirring, until the oil begins to separate from the gravy.
- 7
Add the remaining cooked chickpeas along with their cooking liquid. Season with salt and sugar, and simmer for a few minutes until thick and mushy.
- 8
Prepare a tadka by heating ghee and crackling the slit green chilies and ginger juliennes, then stir in the kasuri methi and hing. Pour this over the finished chole, garnish with fresh coriander, and serve.
