One Pot Pindi Chole Recipe | Easy Authentic Indian Chickpea Curry
A one-pot Punjabi-style Pindi Chole where chickpeas simmer in a dark, tangy, and spicy masala built from whole and ground spices, black tea, and amchur. Rich flavor, minimal cleanup, and flexible with canned or dried chickpeas.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (from 2 cans, drained and rinsed) or 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato, finely chopped (or 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes)
- 1-inch piece ginger, julienned
- 5–6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green chilies, slit
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 3–4 green cardamom pods
- 6–8 whole black peppercorns
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2–3 cloves
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1–1.5 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1–1.5 teaspoons amchur (dry mango powder), plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon chana masala or garam masala blend
- 3 tablespoons oil (mustard oil or neutral oil)
- 1 black tea bag (or 1 teaspoon loose black tea tied in cheesecloth)
- 1.5–2 cups water or aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar or jaggery (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- Thin ginger matchsticks (for garnish)
- Sliced onion and lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
Instructions
- If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight, drain, and simmer in fresh water with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tea bag until tender but not mushy, then discard the tea bag and reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat until shimmering; if using mustard oil, heat until it lightly smokes then reduce heat.
- Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, black and green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns, and fry until fragrant and sizzling, about 45–60 seconds.
- Add chopped onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until deeply golden at the edges, 8–10 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, and green chilies and cook 1–2 minutes until aromatic.
- Add tomatoes and cook until the mixture is jammy and the oil separates, 5–7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, Kashmiri chili, and turmeric; stir 30–45 seconds to bloom the spices, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking.
- Add cooked chickpeas and 1 to 1.5 cups of reserved cooking liquid or water, along with 1 teaspoon salt and sugar or jaggery if using, then toss to coat so the masala clings to the chickpeas.
- Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a steady simmer, partially cover, and cook 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally and lightly mashing a few chickpeas to thicken.
- Stir in amchur and chana masala or garam masala and simmer 3–4 minutes, adjusting salt, heat, tang, or consistency with more amchur or water as needed.
- Turn off heat, add lime juice, rest 5 minutes, and garnish with cilantro and ginger matchsticks; serve with sliced onions and lime wedges.
Notes
Serve with bhature, puri, naan, or rice. For deeper color without tea, use a pinch of black salt and kala chana powder. Instant Pot: sauté as directed, then pressure cook soaked chickpeas 25–30 minutes (manual), natural release, and finish with amchur and garam masala. Dish keeps 4–5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen; reheat with a splash of water and brighten with lime and amchur.