Excerpted from Indian Food Is Easy by Vijaya Selvaraju. Copyright © 2025 Vijaya Selvaraju. Photographs by Tanya Pilgrim. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups water
- 2 black tea bags (Assam, breakfast, Ceylon, or Darjeeling)
- 3 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 black cardamom pod (optional)
- 3 cloves
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- ½ Tbsp finely grated ginger
- 1 cup strained tomato sauce (passata)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp amchur powder (optional, see note)
- 1 tsp anardhana (dried pomegranate) powder (optional, see note)
- ½ tsp black salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- Kosher salt
- 2 cans (19 oz/540 ml each)
- chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 long green finger chilis, split lengthwise
Directions
- Add the water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the tea bags and continue boiling for 3 minutes or until the water takes on a dark brown hue. Remove from the heat and discard the tea bags.
- To a large pot on medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black cardamom, and cloves. Sauté for 10 to 15 seconds or until the cloves puff up. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until softened and fragrant. Pour in the strained tomato sauce and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes become jammy and the oil begins to sizzle along the edges of the mixture.
- Add the chili powder, garam masala, kasoori methi, ground coriander, amchur powder, anardhana powder, black salt, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt to taste. Mix to combine. Add the drained chickpeas and tea water. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for an additional 10 minutes to slightly thicken. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Add the ghee to a small frying pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, sprinkle in the cumin and add the chilis. Cook for 10 seconds and then pour over the prepared chole. Stir to mix in.
- Note: In case amchur and anardhana powders are not available, stir in the juice of ½ large lemon at the end of cooking, before the addition of the spiced ghee.