Easy Punjabi Chole Recipe

Cooking without any house help for over a month now.  The other day I was craving restaurant-style chole like crazy. So I went through my school days recipe book to realize it's not so difficult at all. While I soaked up the chickpeas one night in advance, I also searched my kitchen pantry for the ingredients and yes, I did have most of them.

So here is my modified lockdown Easy Punjabi Chole Recipe.

Ingredients

2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cups of chickpeas (before soaking)
2 finely chopped or grated onions
5 pureed tomatoes
1 teabag
3-4 cloves
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp Chole Masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
 3/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp anardana ( or Amchur powder)
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp ginger juliennes
Coriander for garnish
Salt to taste

Ant Chole Lovers in the house?

Method

1. The next day or after 12 hours of soaking you can add the chickpeas to a pressure cooker with a pinch of salt and the teabag.

2. Let it cook for 15 minutes in the cooker. Once cool, open the lid of the pressure cooker.

3. Discard the tea bag, but do not throw away the water.

4. In a Kadai heat 2 tbsp of oil. Once it is hot, add the cloves and grated onions. Fry the onions until they turn golden brown in color.

5. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes till the smell of ginger-garlic diminishes.

6. Lower the flame and add the tomato puree, stir and let it cook for 12-15 minutes on medium-low flame.


7. Now add the chole masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt and stir it well.

8. Add the chickpeas and add them to the tomato-onion mixture, stir till all the chickpeas are coated with spices, around 2 minutes.

9. You can add the water if the gravy thickens up while cooking.

10. Add the anardana powder and simmer for another 15 minutes.

12. Now in a separate small pan, add ghee and the ginger julienne to it. Fry till the juliennes are golden brown in color and add to the chole.

13. Now garnish with coriander leaves and serve it hot with bhatura,  puri or rice.

However, I served it up with fresh protein bread, salad, and some raita. It tasted equally delicious. And you can plus or minus masalas according to the availability in your kitchen. Don't forget two steps, add a teabag while cooking the chickpeas and the ginger in ghee step for that delicious Punjabi Chole Recipe.

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe and the benefits of eating carrots

Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe

In case you're searching for an easy and heavenly, toss in-the-pot dinner, this creamy carrot soup recipe is impeccable. Regardless of whether you need to have a smooth slurpy carrot soup cook no further, this recipe is done under 20 minutes. We'll likewise incorporate various ways you can jazz this formula up with whatever else is in your kitchen refrigerator.

This Carrot Soup is so full of flavor it may very well become your new favorite soup! Who knew carrot soup could be THIS GOOD!?!

Ingredients

1 tbsp Butter

1 big Onion

½ kg Orange Carrots

1 small piece of pumpkin (optional)

1 cup vegetable Stock (or Maggi cube)

1 Potato

1 green chili

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method 

1.     Wash the vegetables thoroughly and roughly chop up them up.

2.     Take a thick bottom saucepan and melt one tablespoon butter until its softened and turning golden brown.

3.     Now add the onions and sauté till pinkish in colour. Add the other vegetables, stir well, being sure everything is coated with butter And if need be, add a little more butter. You can substitute butter for olive oil in this recipe.  

4.     Now add the green chili, vegetable stock and let the mixture boil till e carrots have become soft and squishy.

5.     Use a hand blender to puree the soup, or puree in batches in a food processor or blender.

6.     After the soup has been pureed, return to low heat and add the salt and pepper to taste.

7.      Serve the soup warm. This soup doesn’t taste very good hot.

Serving  Option 

1. You can add a piece of ginger to the soup for that warmth during the winter season.

2. Serve with a dash of cream and garnish with Cilantro for it to look more classic.

3. For a complete meal, garlic toast or a croissant as accompaniment would make a perfect date with the World Cup Matches. 

Benefits of eating Carrots

1. High cholesterol is a central point causing heart maladies, and normal utilization of carrots diminishes cholesterol levels.

2. A Carrot contains a number of antiseptic and antibacterial properties that make them ideal for boosting the immune system.

3. Fiber is very essential in maintaining good digestive health. Carrots, like most vegetables, have significant amounts of dietary fiber in their roots that effectively aids good bowel movement. 

4. And above all, we all know that the  Beta-carotene present in carrots helps in maintaining good eyesight and vision. 

So let's all be a rabbit and chomp on a carrot.