Pindi Chana/Pindi Chole

ABOUT Pindi Chana/Pindi Chole RECIPE

This recipe originated in Rawalpindi in Pakistan and hence the name.It is different from the normal Chole Masala in the sense that the way of preparation and spices are different.You will see that the chickpeas appear a little different in this recipe than the other recipes. This recipe uses plain tea leaves to get the lovely dark color on the chickpeas.Use the normal tea bags available in the market(NOT the flavoured ones like Orange or Lemon).If you do not have tea bags then take a small piece of muslin cloth(jaalidaar kapda) or a handkerchief and place 1 tbsp loose tea leaves inside.Securely tie up the handkerchief or better still stitch it to prevent the tea leaves from dropping out. Use raw chickpeas if possible as when you boil them with the tea leaves the colour will come on beautifully and you will be left with dark tinted chickpeas.I have used a few pieces of dry Amla(Indian Gooseberries) but its ok if you cannot get hold of them. The typical Chole Masala you get in the market has a multitude of spices and this is going to make the preparation a lot easier especially for spices like Anardana(dried Pomegranate seed) and Shahi Jeera(Black Cumin) which are not easily available in the market. The Pindi Chana can be preserved in the refrigerator and has a life of 1 week if properly stored.In 4-5 days it tastes absolutely delicious as the spices have amalgamated into the Chana and have merged their wonderful aromas and favours. If you have to make the recipe in a short duration with no extra time remaining then soak the raw chickpeas in boiling hot water in a covered container for 5-6 hours. In case you are using canned chickpeas then extract the dark liquid from the tea bags by boiling them in 1 litre of water till the dark colour is extracted.Then cook the chickpeas in this liquid following the normal procedure. If you do not want to use whole spices,then dry roast and powder them and add the powder while making the recipe.