Chole
Punjabi chickpeas in a dark, tangy spiced gravy.
Ingredients
- 2 tin Chickpeas
- 2 Onion
- 3 Tomato
- 1 Ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp Ground coriander
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Amchur (dried mango powder)
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 240 g Basmati rice
Method
- Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Grate the onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic.
- Crackle the cumin in oil, fry the onion until deep brown, then add ginger-garlic and tomato.
- Stir in the ground coriander and cook for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the chickpeas and water and simmer until thick, about 12 minutes.
- Finish with garam masala and amchur off heat.
- Serve with rice or bhatura.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Chole
Chole is the Punjabi chickpea curry at the center of North Indian home and street cooking, chickpeas simmered in a dark, tangy, deeply spiced gravy. Its signature color and sourness come from long-cooked onion and tomato plus amchur, dried mango powder, which lends a bright, fruity tartness you can't get from tomato alone. Cumin seeds crackled in oil and a masala of ground coriander and garam masala give it its warm, layered aroma. It is everyday food and celebration food alike across Punjab and beyond.
The character of good chole is in the base: onion fried until genuinely deep brown, which is what gives the gravy its color and its savory sweetness, so patience there pays off. The finished curry is thick, robust, and pleasantly sour, the chickpeas tender and coated in a clinging masala rather than swimming in thin liquid. Garam masala and amchur stirred in off the heat keep their aromatics sharp and fresh. It is classically eaten with fluffy fried bhatura as chole bhature, or with rice, sliced onion, and a wedge of lemon for a hearty, entirely plant-based meal.
Chole: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Chole?
A serving has about 582 calories — 17.4g protein, 95.2g carbs, 15.6g fat, 13.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Chole gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Chole has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Chole take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 21 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Chole make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.