Amritsari Chole

A lip-smacking Punjabi dish that is easy to make at home.

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Amritsari Chole is a popular Punjabi curry that is often served as a side dish with Chole Bhature. A mix of chick peas cooked in various ingredients and tangy spices in a typical Punjabi style.

An authentic and traditional dish from the city of Amritsar, it is one of the most popular popular side dishes across the sub-continent. Commonly served with naan and rotis, this is one of the main ingredients of samosa chaat, another popular street food dish.

Amritsari Chole

5 from 1 vote

Amritsari Chole Recipe

A lip-smacking Punjabi dish that is easy to make at home.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Punjabi

Keyword: amritsar, chole, punjabi food

Ingredients for Amritsari Chole

• 500 g Chickpeas soaked overnight or for 8 hours minimum
• 5 to 6 Black Tea Bags
• 4 Onions finely chopped
• 5 to 6 Tomatoes finely chopped
• 8 to 10 Black Cardamoms
• 1 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds dried
• 2 tsp Amchur (Mango Powder)
• 5 to 6 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 6 to 10 Green Chillies
• as per taste Salt
• 3 to 4 tbsp Ghee
• 2 to 4 Bay Leaves
• 3 to 4 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
• 3 to 4 tsp Cumin Powder
• 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder

How to make Amritsari Chole

• Drain the chickpeas and rinse well.
• Drain again and transfer to a deep pan.
• Add some water, black tea bags and cardamoms.
• Place over medium flame and cook for until the chickpeas are soft. You can pressure cook the chickpeas for 5 to 6 whistles.
• Drain the chickpeas again, reserving about 2 to 3 cups of water.
• Discard the tea bags and cardamoms.
• Combine the pomegranate seeds, mango powder, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, salt, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder in a blender.
• Add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water and blend to a smooth paste.
• Heat a pan over medium flame.
• Add the chickpeas and the ground paste.
• Mix well and keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a small frying pan.
• Saute the onions and bay leaves until onions turn golden brown.
• Add tomatoes and saute well.
• Add this to the chickpeas along with the reserved water.
• Bring to a boil and cook till the gravy has very little water.
• Garnish with some chopped onions and coriander leaves.
• Remove and serve hot with rice, roti or naan.

Recipe Video

This recipe was first published on Jun 30, 2013 and has been updated on Nov 11, 2020.