Chole Masala
- Makes
- 10 Servings
- Prep time
- 15 Minutes
- Difficulty
- easy
Chole masala, a dish from Punjab, needs tomatoes, plenty of well-browned onions and, above all, a good spice blend.
Ingredients
Tick off while cooking – nothing is stored
Method
Put all whole spices except the turmeric and asafoetida into a heavy pan and toast them slowly.
After 2 to 3 minutes, once the spices start to smell fragrant, take the pan off the heat and let them cool completely.
Grind finely in small batches in an electric spice or coffee grinder. Make sure the spices don’t get too hot while grinding, or the essential oils will burn.
Finally, mix in the asafoetida and turmeric and store airtight in a brown glass jar. The blend keeps for 9 to 12 months.
Notes
Alongside the chickpeas, the real star of this dish is without doubt the spice blend. A homemade version is far better than anything shop-bought – not least because you can adjust the heat to your taste.
On top of that, spices that are freshly toasted and only then ground are very intense in flavour and give the dish just the right kick.