Pindi chole or Amritsari chole is a flavorful variation of the Indian restaurant favorite, chana masala. Chickpeas are cooked with tea leaves and whole spices, then simmered in a tomato onion sauce flavored with mango powder and ground pomegranate seeds.
A chana masala is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy the healthful goodness of garbanzo beans and it’s one of the recipes most requested by my friends when they come over for dinner. Sometimes, when I want something a little different, I make these Pindi chole or Amritsari chole, a chana masala with an entrancing spin.
What is Pindi chole?
Pindi chole or Amritsari chole is a variation of chana masala cooked across the contiguous Punjab state of India and Punjab province of Pakistan. “Pindi” is short for Rawalpindi, in Pakistan, and Amritsar is a city in Punjab, India.
There are minor differences between Pindi chole and Amritsari chole, but there are many more similarities: both dishes include a unique ingredient, black tea. And both are tangier than an average chana masala, thanks to the use of anardana, or pomegranate seed, and amchur, or dried mango powder.
The chole is cooked in a cast iron karahi, a small wok, which, along with the tea and the anardana, helps add a dark, almost blackish hue to the final dish. Some cooks also add dried gooseberry, or amla, to deepen the color.
I didn’t want to risk stripping the seasoning of my cast iron skillets with tomatoes and other acidic ingredients so I used an enameled Dutch oven instead. This doesn’t give the chole as dark a color as you might get in a cast iron karahi, but it is just as delicious.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: onions and tomatoes.
- Herbs: kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaveds), fresh cilantro and ginger-garlic paste
- Spices: turmeric, cayenne or any red chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, cumin seeds, asafetida (optional), anardana (ground pomegranate seeds), amchur (dried mango powder) and chana masala spice blend (affiliate link in recipe box below).
- Oil: Avocado oil or any other neutral oil of your choice. Please don’t use coconut oil or olive oil (for more information on why, read my post on vegan Indian substitutions). To make the recipe oil-free, see the section below on special diets.
- Chickpeas. Use dried chickpeas for this recipe.
How to make Pindi Chole
Place bay leaves, tea leaves, green cardamom pods and cinnamon stick in a clean cheesecloth. Tie into a tight bundle.
Place soaked chickpeas in an Instant Pot liner or in a pressure cooker with 3 cups water. Place the cheesecloth bundle in the liner or cooker. Cook 35 minutes in the Instant Pot or for four whistles in a pressure cooker until the chickpeas are tender. Before using the chickpeas, remove the cheesecloth bundle. Strain the liquid, which will be the color of black tea, and reserve it.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and asafetida, if using. Saute for a few seconds until the cumin seeds darken a bit.
Add the diced onions to the pot along with some salt. Saute the onions until they become soft and begin to turn golden-brown.
Add ginger garlic paste to the pot and saute for a minute.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and mix in.
Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and turmeric to the tomatoes. Mix well.
Cook the tomatoes and spices until the tomatoes are broken down and very pulpy.
Stir in the anardana and amchur and mix well.
Continue to cook until the tomatoes are visibly darker and the liquid has evaporated.
Add the chickpeas to the pot. Crush some of the chickpeas with the ladle — this will help thicken the sauce. Add a cup of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid. Mix well and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the chana masala powder. Add the remaining cooking liquid to the chana masala if it looks dry. You can also add more water to thin out the consistency. Pindi chana is not as saucy as a chana masala.
Bring the chana to a boil, cover, and continue to cook 10 minutes over medium low heat.
Stir in kasoori methi, mix well, check for salt and turn off heat. Garnish with cilantro.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store in fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze the Pindi chole in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw and reheat the chickpeas in a saucepan or microwave. Add more water if necessary.
Recipe FAQs
The black tea adds a pleasantly mild, bitter undertone and the amchur and anardana make the Pindi chole tangier than the average chana masala recipe.
Canned chickpeas are great for a regular chana masala, but for Pindi chole you need to start out with dried chickpeas because the chickpeas need to absorb the flavor and color of the tea as they cook.
Asafetida adds umami to vegetarian recipes, so it’s a recommended addition, but you can skip it.
You can, and you will be rewarded with great color. But keep in mind that the tomatoes will need to cook in the pan for a bit and that could strip the seasoning of your cast iron skillet, depending on how well-seasoned it is. Some of the iron will also leach into the food and while that is not a bad thing, you may get a slight metallic taste. America’s Test Kitchen has some useful tips on cooking with acidic ingredients in cast iron. I use an enameled Dutch oven or a stainless steel pot to make Pindi chole.
More delicious Indian chickpea recipes
Pindi Chole (Amritsari Chole)
Pindi chole or Amritsari chole is a flavorful variation of the Indian restaurant favorite, chana masala. Chickpeas are cooked with tea leaves and whole spices, then simmered in a tomato onion sauce flavored with mango powder and ground pomegranate seeds.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 223kcal
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Instructions
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Soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain out the water, then place the chickpeas in an Instant Pot liner or pressure cooker.
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Place the green cardamom pods, bay leaves and cinnamon stick in a piece of cheesecloth. Add tea leaves. If using tea bags, cut or tear them open and place the tea leaves in the cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth in a tight bundle.
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Place the cheesecloth bundle in the Instant Pot liner or pressure cooker along with the chickpeas. Add 4 cups water. Cook on high pressure in Instant Pot for 35 minutes or in the pressure cooker for four whistles. The cooked chickpeas should be very tender and should mash easily. Before using the chickpeas, discard the cheesecloth bundle. Strain out the cooking liquid and reserve.
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In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and asafetida, if using. Saute for a few seconds until the cumin seeds darken a bit.
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Add the diced onions to the pot along with some salt. Saute the onions until they become soft and begin to turn golden-brown.
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Add ginger garlic paste to the pot and saute for a minute. Then stir in the tomatoes.
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Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne and turmeric to the tomatoes. Mix well. Cook the tomatoes and spices until the tomatoes are broken down and very pulpy.
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Stir in the anardana and amchur and mix well. Continue to cook until the tomatoes are visibly darker and the liquid has evaporated.
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Add the chickpeas to the pot. Crush some of the chickpeas with the ladle — this will help thicken the sauce. Add a cup of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid. Mix well and bring to a simmer.
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Stir in the chana masala powder. Add the remaining cooking liquid to the chana masala if it looks dry. You can also add more water to thin out the consistency. Pindi chana is not as saucy as a chana masala.
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Bring the chana to a boil, cover, and continue to cook 10 minutes over medium low heat. Stir in kasoori methi, mix well, check for salt and turn off heat. Garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
Pindi Chole (Amritsari Chole)
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
