Dhabe de Chole | How to make Punjabi Dhabe de Chole

For the next day of cooking from my bookmarked recipes, I picked up Vaishali's Dhabe de Chole. This recipe is supposed to the Punjabi Dhaba style of making Chhole. I have always been obsessed with Punjabi food, more-so with Dhaba dishes. So the moment I read that it was Dhaba style, I had to make it.

Since most of our Sunday Breakfast is Poori Channa, I thought it would be a good thing to change the channa and see if the kids like. It was a super-duper hit and the kids enjoyed their meal. I was so happy that I was including yet another chhole recipe to my collection! Vaishali says she got this from her Punjabi friend's mom, so it's an authentic recipe and not much of a fuss in making it.

Since I skipped using tea bags, my chhole is not as dark as Vaishali's. I am sure that also lends some taste to the gravy. Since we don't stock tea bags, didn't have any on hand. However, taste-wise it's very delicious.

If you are fond of chhole, then you must try this.

While I was making this, Veena pinged me asking for my chhole recipe links. She said she wanted to make it for the fourth week. I was grinning and told her that it's funny that I should be also be trying a channa recipe from Vaishali and she was doing from mine!

Well back to the recipe, you make and enjoy with pooris!


Dhabe de Chole

Ingredients Needed:

For the Chole

Kabuli Chana - 1 cup
Potato cubed - 1
Onions sliced 2 medium
Ginger - 1"
Green chilly sliced 2 -3
Coriander - Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Black salt 1 tsp
Roasted cumin pwd 1 tsp
Black pepper pwd 1/4 tsp
Tea bags 2 -3 (I skipped)
Salt to taste

Soak the chana for 5-6 hours or overnight. Change waters a couple of times.

Put everything in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles or till the chana is soft. I PC channa first for 2 whistles and then add all the ingredients and PC for one more.  Let the pressure fall down.

Meanwhile, you can make the masala for tempering

Spice Masala

Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Bay leaf - 2
Black cardamom 1
Red chilly pwd 1 tsp
Coriander - Cumin Powder 1 tsp
Black pepper pwd 1/4 tsp
Aamchoor pwd 4 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp

Heat oil and ghee. Add bay leaf and black cardamom. green chilies.

Add all the spices and roast for a few minutes.

When it starts becoming aromatic, add to the channa in the pressure cooker.

Once again pressure cooks these for a whistle.

After the pressure falls, remove the tea bags, bay leaf and the cardamom.

Serve hot with ready kulchas/bread /pav/rice /bhatura.

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