Cooking Chhole (chickpeas) the healthier way

Refugees from Pakistan brought many culinary gifts for the people of Delhi and Bombay and for what was to emerge as independent India. Chhole is one of them.

Some of these families had to sell chhole bhature on the streets to survive.

Now, within two generations, these very families have become the biggest givers in India. You could count them in with the Parsis. The most highly educated people. Business leaders. Doctors and engineers. Philanthropists. Multi-millionnaire families so humble, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from the salaried classes.

Because what happened to them was so extraordinary, they have been able to do extraordinary things in this world.

Chhole chawal, chhole puri have become special meals for families living all over north India.

Chhole bhature or chhole kulche are popular street food - something you shouldn’t eat! 🙂

If you really love them, bhature can also be made easily at home…

Ayurveda sees chickpeas as rather difficult to digest and not suitable for everyone. Some of you might have felt uncomfortable after having them. Ayurveda also provides a solution for those people. Soak them overnight and change the water a few times before cooking them. Cook them for a long time and add spices that improve digestibility. Eat in moderation.

The traditional recipe involves making the masala by cooking pureed onion, tomato, garlic and ginger in hot oil until it starts separating. When you cook like this, you are squeezing all life out of these wonderfully flavourful and nutritious foods. (Yes, it does develop a different kind of flavour after being sautéed, which is also nice!)

So, a lot of times, I make chhole in a single pot. Once the chhole are almost cooked, I add grated tomato (along with freshly roasted ground coriander and cumin) and let them cook on low heat. Once they are done, I add finely grated ginger and garlic and finely chopped coriander and green chilli along with some freshly ground cloves, dark brown cardamom and cinnamon powder. If you’d like, you can add fresh juice from one or two limes. Let them sit for at least an hour before serving. Finely grated ginger on top adds another layer of flavour.

This way, I try to preserve as much of the nutritional properties of the fresh components as possible.

You can also make them Jain style, with no onion or garlic. Yes, they will still taste great! If you start with the best materials, whatever you cook will taste good.

Always use desi tamatar, the Indian tomato, which has a slightly tangy taste. If you are living in the west, choose varieties that are tangy. Please don’t use canned tomatoes.

Some of you might have noticed that I haven’t mentioned amchoor (raw mango powder) or anardana (powdered pomegranate seeds) that are used to enhance the sour flavour. That is because fungal contamination is common in commercially bought amachoor and anardana. Use them if you have a reliable source, with high quality control standards. Otherwise, make them at home, it’s not so difficult.

Please do not use any ready-made masala.

Always buy whole spices and grind them fresh.

A mortar and pestle is a kitchen essential!