Chickpea Recipe

A Recipe for White Chickpeas Made in Tea Water and Onion-Tomato Gravy

I completely adore white chickpeas. Cooked in tea water and a gravy of sauteed onion and tomatoes, the chickpeas form a fabulous main course meal. Throughout weekdays, I feed on green veggies and when weekends come, I look forward to have something different and these chickpeas are the best bets. They can be gobbled with anything from 'rotis' to 'naan' to 'puris', yet rice-chickpea pairing is what I find best. Go to a party, attend a function, visit a restaurant, you would find this lovely dish everywhere. In my language, they are called "chole" or channa".

Chickpeas, both black and white ones, take good time to get cooked, so it is better to keep them soaked in water overnight. Or if you you forget doing that, drop a pinch of baking soda while boiling them. Go through this recipe and give this dish a try.

4-5 medium-sized onion

3-4 medium-sized tomatoes

A tsp. ginger-garlic paste

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp. coriander powder

A tsp cumin seeds

250 gm white chickpeas

1-2 tsp. tea

A tsp. 'garam masala' ( a mixture of hot spices like cardamom, clove, cinnamon, peppercorn, cumin, and turmeric)

1/2 tsp dry mango powder

A bunch of green coriander leaves.

3-4 green chilies

1/2 tsp red chili powder

A tsp. cooking oil

  Keep chickpeas soaked in water a night before you plan to make them

Boil chickpeas in water they were soaked in. Add more water if required. Boil for about 25-30 minutes. Keep them aside.

Peel onions and chop them into slices.

Chop tomatoes.

In a mixer, grind onion-tomato to make puree.

In a cooker, heat some cooking oil.

Add cumin seeds and let them saute for a minute.

Add chopped green chilies

Add onion-tomato puree to it.

Let the puree cooked for about 4-5 minutes. By this time, raw smell of onions will fade.

Add 'garam masala' and ginger-garlic paste. Let it cook for a minute more.

Mix all well.

Pour red chili powder, dry mango powder to the mixture.

Meanwhile, boil tea in a cup of water.

Filter with a tea-strainer. Keep tea-water aside.

Now add boiled chickpeas along with water they were boiled in to the mixture.

Pour tee-water over them.

Add salt as per taste.

Close cooker's lid and wait for a whistle.

Reduce flame to medium position.

Let them cooked for another 20 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with rice.