Aloo Chole ki Sabji is an Easy Side Dish for Poori. This Chickpea and Potato Curry is a simple and aromatic side dish you can make in no time with simple pantry ingredients.
When I was doing the A to Z Indian Pooris, I paired my Lauki Poori with this delicious easy Aloo Chole.
This gravy dish can be referred to by different names like Aloo Chole ki sabzi or Aloo Chole or Chole Masala or alu chole or Chickpea and Potato Curry or Chana Aloo Masala.
I have a whole lot of Chana Recipes, ranging from gravies to one-pot meals. The theme for the final week of BM is sort of twisted and I may have ended up not being clear. The theme says we can pick one ingredient and do the same category type from three different states.
Today's Aloo Chole features Kokum. Kokum or Garcinia Indica is the dried fruit found in the Western Ghats and is mainly used in Maharashtrian, Goa, Konkan, and Gujarati cuisines. This sun-dried fruit has souring qualities similar to tamarind and is called aamsul or kokam also.
We mostly use tamarind in our recipes, still, I have this stocked and was only glad to use it in gravy. Check out the recipe and enjoy!
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Ingredients for Aloo Chole ki Sabji
We use Kabuli Chana in this recipe. Soaking it overnight or over at least 8 to 10 hours gives you a soft chickpea. We use two different souring agents in this recipe and it needs a bit of knowing how much sourness is fine for this gravy.
Kabuli Chana / Chickpeas - I have used Kabuli Chana that is soaked overnight or most times I soak it for nearly 10 hours, and stock it in the fridge to use as needed. When you store it in the fridge after soaking, make sure you bring it to room temperature before boiling.
Potatoes - Cubed Potatoes give body and a variety to the chole and aid in giving you more gravy.
Onions - We add minced onions that give flavour and body to the gravy making it thick and creamy.
Tomatoes - Grating the tomato makes it bursting with flavours and again makes it different from the puree form.
Kokum - We add kokum while boiling the chana and discard it once the chana is well cooked.
Spice Powders - Regular pantry available spice powders like Coriander Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder, and Turmeric powders are added.
Dry Mango / Amchur powder - Along with Kokum we also add Dry Mango Powder, however, since this is also sour you got to know to balance the overall taste. So don't go overboard adding this. However, adding this to the gravy gives it a different taste.
Green Chillies - The green chili punch makes the gravy taste delicious and I recommend not skipping it.
Instructions for Aloo Chole ki Sabji
This Aloo Chole ki Sabji is very easy to make, planning it ahead makes it stress-free. Have soaked chana ready to make this quick gravy.
Cooking the Chana and Potatoes
Wash and soak the kabuli chana overnight.
When ready to cook, change the water a couple of times, take enough water in a pressure cooker along with cubed potatoes, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt to taste, and 2 kokum pieces.
Make sure the chana is completely immersed in water.
Cover the cooker with a lid and cook on high flame for 4 whistles.
Let the pressure release. Open and check the chickpeas. You can discard the kokum.
Making the Aloo Chole ki Sabji:
Heat the oil in a nonstick pan. When hot add the minced onions and saute well.
Stir it till onions become translucent. Next, add the ginger-garlic paste and slit green chilies.
Now add tomatoes and combine well. Cook on high while you stir.
Simmer and add all the spice powders except garam masala.
Combine and let it simmer till the oil oozes out on the sides.
After 5 to 7 minutes, add the boiled chana and potatoes. Mix well and let it cook with the masala.
Add water as required and bring to a boil. Now add garam masala and adjust the salt
Add coriander leaves and mix well.
When the gravy is thick, switch off and serve with pooris.
Substitutions & Variations
You can try using desi black chana to make Aloo Chole ki Sabji as well and it should be equally good. Canned Chickpea will be even easier to make, however, soaking and cooking at home makes it so healthy and economical.
If you have boiled chole on hand, you can microwave the potatoes for 5 to 7 mins peel the skin, and cube it.
Add dried kasuri methi for an aromatic flavour in the end.
This is a vegan gravy, if you want you can add butter finally.
Equipment
For making Aloo Chole ki Sabji, we need a pressure cooker for boiling the chana. A kadai or a pan to make the gravy.
A blender and a grater will be handy as well for you to grind or grate as needed.
Storage
I always stock ginger garlic paste in cubes. If you plan ahead, you can soak and keep the chana ready as well. Or at times, I have even boiled and stored the chana depending on how I need it.
Cooked Aloo Chole ki Sabji stays good for two days. Always bring it to room temperature, and reheat well before serving.
Expert Tips
Before soaking the kabuli chana for Chickpea and Potato Curry, rinse it a couple of times. Again after soaking it overnight, it is advised to change the water at least twice to get a clear chana.
Pressure cook the chana at least for 4 whistles first if you are boiling potato along with chana. Add potatoes and pressure cook for another whistle. this way chana gets cooked soft along with potato which only needs 1 whistle to get soft.
Other Chickpea Gravies you will love!
Recipe
Aloo Chole ki Sabji ~ Easy Side Dish for Poori
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kabuli Chana / Chickpeas
- 1 cup Potatoes cubed
- 1 cup Onions minced
- 1.5 cups Tomatoes grated or pureed
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 Kokum
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Dry Mango / Amchur powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 slit Green Chillies
- A handful Coriander Leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
Cooking the Chana and Potatoes
- Wash and soak the kabuli chana overnight.
- When ready to cook, change the water a couple of times, take enough water in a pressure cooker along with cubed potatoes, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt to taste, and 2 kokum pieces.
- Make sure the chana is completely immersed in water.
- Cover the cooker with a lid and cook on high flame for 4 whistles.
- Let the pressure release. Open and check the chickpeas. You can discard the kokum.
Making the Gravy
- Heat the oil in a nonstick pan.
- When hot add the minced onions and saute well.
- Stir it till onions become translucent.
- Next, add the ginger-garlic paste and slit green chilies.
- Now add tomatoes and combine well. Cook on high while you stir.
- Simmer and add all the spice powders except garam masala.
- Combine and let it simmer till the oil oozes out on the sides.
- After 5 to 7 minutes, add the boiled chana and potatoes.
- Mix well and let it cook with the masala.
- Add water as required and bring to a boil.
- Now add garam masala and adjust the salt
- Add coriander leaves and mix well.
- When the gravy is thick, switch off and serve with pooris.
Nutrition
Vaishali says
Valli, I have never added any sour agent while boiling the channa. I assume it takes very long to cook then .
So I am learning something new . Will try this recipe , sounds interesting .
The chana looks dry , or is it with gravy ? Will try this version soon, just got a fresh batch of kokum from Goa !
Radha says
Aloo and channa is always comforting. I have used black tea while cooking channa but adding kokum is amazing too, and will try this recipe asap.