Tag Archives: Punjabi

Recipes: Chikkad Chole

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I had come across Chikkad Chole in a few reels and videos and had been intrigued by it enough that I wanted to try it. Also known as Chikkar Chole, Chikkad Chole is a traditional Punjabi chickpea curry beloved across the India-Pakistan border, with deep historical roots and cultural significance.

Chikkad Chole’s history is intertwined with Punjabi and Lahori culinary traditions. The name “chikkad” or “chikar” refers to the dish’s thick, mud-like consistency, achieved by mashing the chickpeas during cooking. It’s believed that the use of chickpeas, native to the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, spread through ancient trade routes and became a staple in North Indian cuisine. Over centuries, chickpeas were adopted into Mughal kitchens, where the combination of spices and slow-cooking techniques developed into rich gravies that define today’s Chole recipes.

Many culinary legends suggest chole recipes gained prominence during the Mughal era, especially as royal cooks experimented with locally available pulses and spices. As communities moved due to the partition of India in 1947, food traditions like Chikkad Chole also migrated and became popular in cities like Delhi and Lahore, bringing comfort to families amidst upheaval. Famous eateries and individuals, such as Peshori Lal Lamba of Kwality Restaurant or street vendors in Paharganj, Delhi, played pivotal roles in popularising variations of Chole across urban India after the partition.

Chikkad Chole is more than just a dish; it’s a symbol of Punjabi hospitality and celebration. It’s a staple during festivals, gatherings, and community events, often enjoyed alongside bhature, naan, or rice. The tangy, spicy flavours, achieved with amchur, anardana, cardamom, and black salt, reflect the agricultural richness and multicultural influences of the Punjab region.

In Lahore, Chikar Cholay is cherished as a popular street food, with vendors serving thick, aromatic chickpea curry on bustling corners. Culinary techniques, such as adding black tea and dried amla, have become characteristic of the region’s style, giving the curry its unique colour and depth of flavour.

While the dish’s core ingredients remain chickpeas and spice blends, every household and city has its nuanced twist, from the amount of mashing to the combination of souring agents. The addition of anardana (pomegranate powder) and amchur (dried mango powder) is a relatively modern adaptation, providing the requisite tang available in today’s kitchens. With changing times, the recipe continues to evolve, adapting to personal preferences and regional ingredients while maintaining its legacy of bold taste and comforting texture.

Chikkad Chole

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups dried chickpeas (white kabuli or black chana), soaked overnight
  • 2 tea bags (for colour, optional)
  • 4 pieces dried Indian gooseberry (amla), optional
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes, pureed
  • 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled
  • 1-2 green chillies, slit
  • 1 inch ginger, cut into julienne plus extra for garnish
  • Oil for frying
  • ¼ tsp garam masala (optional, for garnish)

For the Chikkad Chole Masala

  • 1 black cardamom
  • 3 cloves
  • 1-inch cinnamon stick
  • ¼ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp black pepper powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
  • 1 tsp anardana (pomegranate powder; optional, skip if avoiding)
  • 1 tsp kala namak (black salt)

Method:

  • For the masala, dry roast the spices until aromatic, then cool and grind into a fine powder.
  • Soak chickpeas overnight in plenty of water.
  • Drain and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add tea bags (for deep colour), potatoes and dried amla (if using) with water and salt.
  • Pressure cook until soft (usually 15-20 minutes, or 4-5 whistles).
  • In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil and sauté onions until golden brown.
  • Add julienned ginger and green chillies. Sauté for a minute.
  • Add pureed tomatoes and cook until the oil separates and the tomatoes are fully cooked.
  • Add the prepared Chikkad Chole masala blend and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  • Once the pressure reduces, drain the boiled chickpeas, reserve the water, and take about 3-4 tbsp of the cooked chole into a blender along with the boiled potatoes and blend into a smooth paste.
  • Add the paste into the pan and stir well.
  • Once it comes to a boil, add the cooked chickpeas, and mix everything together.
  • Add salt to taste and pour in some of the reserved water to achieve a thick consistency.
  • Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, mashing some chickpeas to make the gravy thick.
  • Add garam masala and kasuri methi and mix before serving.
  • Add more ginger julienne and chopped coriander leaves before serving.
  • Serve piping hot with bhature, kulcha, naan, or rice for an authentic experience.

Notes:

  • Pomegranate powder (anardana) adds a distinct tang. If omitting, increase the dry mango powder slightly for tartness, or use just amchur instead.
  • The black tea bags and dried amla are for colour only, not essential for flavour.
  • For an even thicker, richer gravy, mash some chickpeas directly in the pan as the curry simmers.

Recipes: Dal Makhni

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A quintessential staple in every Punjabi restaurant, Dal Makhani is known for its rich and creamy texture. The dish has its roots in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent and was created by Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, who were Punjabi Hindu migrants from Peshawar. They are also credited with inventing the famous butter chicken.

The dish is a modern variation of traditional lentil dishes, made with urad dal or black lentils and other pulses, and is known for its rich buttery and creamy content. The name Dal Makhni comes from Dal, meaning lentils, and Makhni, meaning buttery. It’s a testament to the culinary innovation that occurred during the post-partition era, as these chefs sought to create a vegetarian dish that would complement their already popular Butter Chicken. This recipe comes from my helper, R, who comes from Punjab.

Dal Makhni

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole black lentils or urad dal
  • ¼ cup kidney beans or rajma
  • 4 cups water for pressure cooking
  • 2 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, pureed
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ cup fresh cream
  • Salt to taste
  • Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

  • Rinse the whole urad dal and rajma thoroughly under running water. Soak them together in enough water for at least 6–8 hours or overnight.
  • Drain the soaked lentils and beans and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Pressure cook for about 6-7 whistles on medium-high heat, or until the lentils and beans are soft and well cooked.
  • Once cooked, mash the lentils and beans slightly using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Set aside.
  • Heat ghee or butter along with oil in a deep pan or kadai over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Add finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
  • Stir in ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw aroma disappears.
  • Add the tomato puree and cook until the mixture thickens and the oil starts to separate from the sides.
  • Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes.
  • Pour in the cooked lentils and beans, along with any remaining water from the pressure cooker. Mix everything.
  • Adjust the consistency by adding water if necessary. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  • Add fresh cream and salt to taste. Stir well to combine.
  • Let the Dal Makhani simmer on low heat for about 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps to blend the flavours and thicken the gravy.
  • Once the desired consistency is achieved, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice, naan, or roti for a delicious and comforting meal.

Recipes: Amritsari Dal or Langarwali Dal

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I have been curious about this dal for a few months now, but the couple of times I wanted to make it, I didn’t have the whole urad dal on hand. So a couple of months back, when I had some on hand, I decided it was time to finally make this.

This dal is rustic and comes from the homes of Punjab and is also called Langarwali Dal as it is often served at Sikh Gurudwaras, especially the Harmandir Saheb in Amritsar. Made from two types of dals, urad and chana, this dal does not have too many spices and is usually slow cooked, sometimes overnight to make a creamy, soft dal that just melts in the mouth. But because we don’t have the time these days to slow cook it, it’s made in the pressure cooker.

Amritsari Dal or Langarwali Dal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole black urad dal
  • ¼ cup chana dal
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tbsp finely minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp finely mined garlic
  • 2-3 tbsp ghee, oil or butter
  • 1 tsp minced green chillies
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium sized tomotoes, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves (optional)

Method:

  • Soak the urad dal and chana dal in water for at least 5-6 hours until the urad dal is soft to touch.
  • Wash the dal well and put inside the pressure cooker with enough water to cover it, add turmeric powder, 1 tbsp each of ginger and garlic and about 1 tsp salt and cook for about five to six whistles. Open the cooker when the pressure goes away and slightly mash the dals with the back of a spoon or a whisk.
  • In a separate pan, heat the ghee, oil or butter and when it heats up, add in the finely chopped onion, stir until the onions turn translucent.
  • Then add in the balance minced ginger and garlic and stir well.
  • Add the mined green chillies and stir.
  • Saute until the onions become a nice golden colour.
  • When the onions turn golden, add In the finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well and let the tomatoes cook until they become mushy
  • Let the mixture cook until the oil releases from the sides. At this point, add the red chilli powder
  • Pour the tempering into the dal mixture and mix well
  • Add salt and water if needed and mix well
  • Let the dal come to a nice rolling boil.
  • Lower the flame and let the dal simmer for about 5 minutes. You can simmer for longer if you want, and the results will be better.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves, if you are using them and serve hot with rice, rotis or nan.

Note that the dal will thicken as it cools, so you may need to thin it a bit before serving if you plan on cooking it ahead of time. Also the dal tastes much better if eaten the next day, so it may be a good idea to cook it ahead of time.

Recipes: Matar Paneer

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A dish you find in pretty much every Indian restaurant, Matar Paneer, which means Peas and Paneer, is a yummy dish from the state of Punjab which has fresh or frozen green peas and cottage cheese or Paneer in a smooth onion tomato gravy, spiced with garam masala. Usually served with Indian flatbreads like rotis, you can also have it with steamed rice.

One Sunday, bored of making the same old dishes, I decided to make a super easy mater paneer. This version, which may not be the most authentic version, is very easy and doesn’t take much time to make. I used frozen peas, but if you have fresh peas, the dish will be even better.

Matar Paneer

Ingredients:
– 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
– 1 cup frozen paneer, soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes and then drained
– 2 medium sized onions, chopped roughly
– 4 medium sized tomatoes, chopped roughly
– 1 bulb garlic, peeled
– 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
– 10-12 almonds
– 2 tsp cumin seeds
– 1 tsp ajwain or caraway seeds
– 1 tbsp coriander seeds
– 2 cloves
– 2 cardamom pods
– ¼ tsp turmeric powder
– 1 tsp red chilli powder
– 1 tsp cumin powder
– 1 tsp coriander powder
– 1 tsp garam masala powder
– 1 tbsp kasuri methi
– Salt to taste
– 2 tbsp ghee or oil
– Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
– Heat 1 tbsp ghee or oil in a pan and when it is warm, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let them pop.
– Then add the ajwain seeds, coriander seeds, cloves and cardamom pods and stir for a couple of seconds.
– Now add the almonds and stir for a minute or two. Then add the garlic and ginger one by one and stir between adding the next ingredient.
– When everything is stirred well, add the onions and stir until the onions are translucent.
– Then add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and stir until the tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy. Switch off the flame and let this cool.
– When completely cool, blend together into a smooth paste.
– In a separate pan, heat the balance ghee or oil and the balance cumin seeds and let the seeds pop
– Then add the frozen peas and the turmeric powder and some salt and cover and cook on a low to medium flame until the peas are around 80% cooked.
– Add in the blended masala paste and then the powder masalas – red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and let it come to a rolling boil.
– At this point, add in the soaked and drained paneer and salt to taste. Add the garam masala powder and crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle it over the gravy.
– Let everything come to a nice boil and put the flame on a simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Thin it if needed at this point.
– Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any rotis or rice. I served it with a simple jeera rice made with basmati rice.

Recipes: Dal Amritsari or Langar Wali Dal

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A few weeks back, I came across this recipe when I was looking for something to make and for some reason, this recipe stayed with me. I didn’t have one major ingredient needed, so the moment I brought the ingredient, I decided to make this dal. This dal is what is served when Punjabis have religious functions at home as well as is served in the holiest of Sikh places, the Harmandir Saheb or the Golden Temple.

This dal also tastes a bit like Makhni Dal and is even tastier the next day. Do try it and let me know what you think of it.

Dal Amritsari or Langar Wali Dal

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole black gram
  • ¼ cup chana dal or split Bengal gram dal
  • 4-5 cups of water to pressure cook the dals
  • 3-4 green chillies (less or more as your spice tolerance), chopped
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium sized tomato, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp grated or finely chopped ginger
  • 1-2 tbsp grated or finely chopped garlic
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander and mint leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Rinse and soak the dals either together or separately in enough water overnight or at least for 5-6 hours
  • Drain the dals and cook in a pressure cooker with enough water and about 1 tbsp each of the ginger and garlic. Pressure cook for about 5-7 whistles until the dals are soft and get smashed when you press then.
  • If you are cooking on the stovetop, cook the dals on a slow fire, stirring in-between along with 1 tbsp each of ginger and garlic until the dals are soft and get smashed when you press on them.
  • For both methods, using a potato smasher, smash some of the dals until it becomes a nice homogenus paste with some whole dal.
  • Heat the oil and butter in a small pan or skillet. When the oil warms, add the balance garlic and ginger and stir for a few seconds each.
  • Then add the chilles and stir for about 10-15 seconds.
  • Now add the chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent.
  • Then add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and saute till the tomatoes get pulpy and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan.
  • Pour this tempering over the cooked dal and season with salt to taste.
  • Pour some hot water to thin it to the consistency you like and simmer on a low heat for another 5-7 minutes.
  • Garnish with finely chopped coriander and mint leaves and serve hot with rice or Indian flatbread.