Category | Chickpeas RSS feed for this section

Chickpea Curry in Olive Oil

10 Nov

Chhole in Olive Oil No Onion Garlic

Chickpeas lend themselves generously to experimentation. The classic channa masala with its onion-garlic base is by no means the only way to cook this legume curry-style. Chickpeas CAN be curried without a shred of onion and garlic – check out these recipes from the blog archives, for example: aloo chhole, dahi chhole.

And now, let me add yet another no-onion-no-garlic chickpea recipe to your repertoire.

(more…)

Dahi Chhole: Chickpeas in Yogurt Curry

19 Apr

Dahi Chhole - Garbanzo Bean and Yogurt Curry

I was looking for a chickpea recipe that did not call for onion, tomato, ginger or garlic, and I stumbled upon a Himachali dish called madra which is served during the dham food festival. Madra is a legume and yogurt combination with an array of aromatic spices – just the kind of recipe I wanted. My version is lighter than the traditional one and calls for fewer spices, based primarily on what was available with me – I simply call it “dahi chhole” instead of madra as I have probably strayed too far from the template…

(more…)

Chickpea Sundal: Vrat-Friendly Chickpea Recipe

10 May

Chickpea Sundal

Quick, easy, lightweight chickpea sundal. Just right for those times when our default chickpea preparation – channa masala – feels too elaborate and time-consuming, or when we need a break from the onion-garlic-ginger-tomato masala ensemble. The ingredient list in this recipe is “vrat-friendly” – that is, suited for festive occasions when onion and garlic are avoided.

Chickpea sundal tastes great warm or cold. It can be had as a standalone salad or as a side dish with a bigger meal.

(more…)

Methi Chhole: Fenugreek Leaves and Chickpeas

27 Mar

In methi chhole, the bitter notes of methi (fresh fenugreek) are tamed by the rich nuttiness of chickpeas and the interesting spice blend in the gravy. An offbeat recipe that I warmly recommend for fenugreek lovers.

(more…)

Channa Masala: Classic Chickpea Curry

26 Jul

Channa Masala - Chickpea Masala

A multi-spiced dish with chickpeas, channa masala is a great favorite in north India. This is also a wise dish to have on the menu when you’re cooking Indian for a big gathering – it is easy to prepare in large quantities since there isn’t much chopping or watching over involved.

(more…)

Chhole Without Onion And Garlic

28 May

“Pure” vegetarians in India – as some units of my family are – do not use onion and garlic in their food. The rationale? According to Ayurveda, onions and garlic are classed with rajasik and tamasik food like meat and intoxicants. Rajasik food is considered passion-inducing and tamasik food sin-inducing – both are never offered to the Gods.

Ayurveda recommends sticking to the satvik variety of  food – fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains.[1] Satvik food is said to keep you fitter in body and calmer in mind.

How does a no-onion-no-garlic person eat Indian-style chhole (white chickpeas), then, you might ask. The popular Punjabi preparation needs an onion-based gravy of course, but there are other ways of preparing chhole without onion and garlic.

(more…)