Instant Pot Pindi Chole

What is Instant Pot Pindi Chole?

In the term Pindi Chole, Pindi in Hindi translates to ‘Pind,’ meaning village and chole means chickpeas or garbanzo beans. 

Combined it means, ‘pind ke chole‘ meaning chickpeas cooked village-style. Rustic and authentic!

Origin

The roots of this Pindi Chole date back to the 18th century and are native to the region of Rawalpindi, a village in Punjab (now in Pakistan).

Rawalpindi is commonly known as Pindi, and that is how this dish – Pindi chole got its name. 

If you are traveling on Chandigarh-Delhi Highway, do stop by at the small roadside dhabas (restaurants) to taste the most authentic Rawalpindi-style Chole.

This Pindi Chole is made in the Instant Pot for super-fast cooking, but stovetop instructions are also included.

How are this Pindi chole different from regular Chana Masala?

Rawalpindi chole can be identified predominantly by its deep black rustic color and the intense aroma of warm spices like – anardana ( pomegranate powder), nutmeg, mace, and amla (Indian gooseberry). 

And the secret to that vibrant color is – tea leaves. Loose tea leaves lend a distinctive color and flavor to this chana masala. 

On the contrary, Punjabi chana masala is as simple as it can get.

It is practically the opposite of Pindi chole – it is usually cooked with mild pantry spices, and tea leaves are not added for color.  

What makes up this Instant Pot Pindi Chole?

This hearty and healthy chole are prepared with-

» Chickpeas – the star ingredient. 

» Onion + garlic + ginger – our aromatic squad.

» Tea leaves – chickpeas are boiled along with tea bags or loose tea leaves for that distinctive deep color. 

» Asian-Inspired warm spices – Pindi chole gets its flavor from a blend of spices like – bay leaves, whole black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds, red chili powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin seed, nutmeg powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder, garam masala powder, rock salt, mace powder, anardana powder, amla powder, tamarind paste, salt, and kasoori methi/ dried fenugreek leaves.

All the above-mentioned spices add the right balance of sweetness and tanginess. The heat to this chana is added in the form of red chili powder. You can easily adjust the spice level to your liking.

How to make Instant Pot Pindi Chole?

1. Transfer the raw chole to a colander and rinse thoroughly under tap water and remove any pebbles, foreign particles, damaged beans, or other gritty things. Repeat the process 2–3 times.

2. Add filtered water and the rinsed chole to a large mixing bowl. Cover and let soak the chole for 8-10 hours or overnight. During the soak time, the chole water may get a little foamy. It’s completely okay. 

3. After the soak time, the chole will swell in size. 

4. Drain the soaked chole in the colander and rinse again. Set aside. 

Let’s prepare the potli for the Pindi chole – 

What’s a potli? It’s a spice bundle. A blend of whole spices is tied up in a muslin cloth and boiled along with the beans. This way, the spices soak up all the earthy flavors from the spices. 

Later the potli/bundle is discarded. So, to make the potli – 

5. Take a muslin cloth. Fold the fabric in half, create a double layer of cloth. 

6. Add loose tea leaves to the muslin cloth. 

7. Add garlic, bay leaves, black cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves on top of the tea leaves. 

8. Bring all the ends together and tie a tight knot. Make sure the knot is secured. Set aside. 

Let’s boil the Chickpeas

9. Transfer the soaked chole to the Instant Pot insert. Add filtered water to the chickpeas.

10. Add salt and a pinch of baking soda.

11. Add the spice potli/bundle that we had prepared earlier in the recipe, to the insert. 

12. Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Seal and secure. Press the ‘Pressure cook button’ and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Make sure the venting knob is in the sealing position.

13. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then move the steam release handle on the lid to the venting position. Once the pin drops, carefully open the Instant Pot. 

14. To check if the chole are done, take a bean in between your fingers and press. Chole will still have a bit of crunch but will mash when pressed. 

15. Remove the spice potli from the Instant Pot and discard. 

16. Separate the chole from the water; it’s boiled in and set aside. Save the water. Do not discard.

Time to cook the Pindi Chole

17. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Pour oil into the heated pot and add cumin seeds. 

18. When the cumin seeds start to crackle, add chopped ginger to the insert— cook for a few seconds.

19. Add chopped onions to the insert and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent. 

20. Add in all the Pindi chole spices (listed below) to the Instant Pot. 

21. Mix the spices until well blended. 

22. Return the boiled chole to the Instant Pot insert.

23. Gently toss the chole around until coated with the spices. 

24. Pour in 1/4 cup of the boiled chickpea water. 

25. Allow the Pindi chole to simmer. Finally, add kasoori methi. 

26. Crush the leaves in between your palms and sprinkle on top of the chole. Turn the Instant pot OFF. 

Prepare the final tempering – 

27. In a separate pan, heat oil. Add chopped tomatoes to the oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft. 

28. Pour this tomato tempering on top of the cooked Pindi chole. Serve hot with warm kulchas or bhaturas.

Cooking tips to make the best Instant Pot Pindi Chole

» Overnight soaking is a must. Soaking helps the chole to cook more evenly and have a creamier texture. 

» Pindi chole is darker in color, and that’s the reason loose tea leaves are added. Therefore, do not skip this step. 

» You can add the whole spices to the potli/bundle, or you can add the whole spices directly to the cooked chole. Either way, the taste will remain the same. 

» While boiling Chole, a pinch of baking soda makes a huge difference. It speeds up the cooking process and softens the chole more quickly.

» Presoaked chole with a pinch of baking soda softens in 25 minutes. This time was apt for the fork-tender chole. Some chickpeas may take longer to cook if the beans are old. 

» But if the chickpeas are hard to crush in between fingers and not tender enough, then it requires extra cooking time. Seal the Instant Pot and continue cooking for another 7-8 minutes until the chole is soft.

» Please do not skimp on that final tempering. This smoky tempering takes the dish to a whole new level. Feel free to add crispy potatoes to the cooked Pindi Chole.

» The consistency of the gravy of Pindi Chole is usually thick. But feel free to adjust to your liking. 

Now for some faqs

» Can I make Punjabi Pindi Chole on the stovetop?
Of course, you can! To cook Pindi chole on the cooktop- 

• Follow steps 1 through 8. Transfer to the soaked chickpeas to the traditional Indian pressure cooker. Add salt, baking soda, and close the lid.
• Pressure cook on medium heat for 2 whistles. Now lower the flame and allow the beans to simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take it off the flame.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the cooker and check the beans. Set aside.

1. Heat oil to a heavy-bottomed Kadai. Add cumin seeds, and as they start to crackle, add chopped onions and ginger to the pan. Sauté until onions are translucent. 

2. Add in all the Pindi chole spices (listed below) to the kadhai. Mix the spices until well blended.

3. Return the boiled chole to the Kadai. Gently toss the chole around until coated with the spices. Pour in 1/4 cup of the boiled chickpea water. 

Prepare the final tempering – 

4. In a separate pan, heat oil. Add chopped tomatoes to the oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft. Pour this tomato tempering on top of the cooked Pindi chole. Enjoy with warm bhaturas.

»  I forgot to soak, can I still cook Pindi Chole? 
You sure can! For unsoaked chickpeas – Boil the dried chickpeas with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and salt for 35 minutes or until fork-tender.  

» Is there a chole masala that you recommend?
I always use my chole masala for this Pindi Chole recipe, but to save time, you can use store-bought readymade chole masala.

If using store-bought chole masala, add 1.5 tablespoons of chole masala to the curry and add more if needed.

» How can I store the leftover Pindi Chole? 
Pindi chole stores well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Or you can freeze the Pindi chana masala for up to 2 months in your freezer.

I am sure you are going to love this Instant Pot Pindi Chole recipe!

Let me know in the comments when you make it. Feel free to contact me with any questions or inquiries, and I would be happy to answer them.

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