Cooking, recipes, how to

benazir's blog

Cholay Masala

Hey folks: I am really excited about having published 500 blog posts and all about food. Ok I have talked about my unwanted family drama too to a certian extent. Although we all have our share of unnecessary drama at times. We all are human after all and that is the way we all are made. Only Allah which we call God is perfect and he knows everything.

Withought these two masalas Cholay Masala Powder and Garam Masala there is no way this post or recipe is even possible. Make these two and have them on the ready at the start of the recipe and the rest is a breeze.

In a pressure cooker I added two cups of chickpeas. They can be either light or dark. I washed them then I added 6 cups of water or enough water where it is over the top of the beans. I put the burner on high heat. Since I have a gas stove and others my have electric all rules apply. Also you can use a hotplate. If you are not in a hurry then you can add to slow cooker.

With both methods add 1 minute pinch of baking soda which will soften the bean and cut the gas. Add 1 tea bag then cover. For slow cooker cook on high for 6 hours or with pressure cooker after the button pops up for the one that has the safety button option. For the screw types you start counting when it starts to hiss.

Cook in pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Let pressure escape and then open the pressure cooker. Test the bean to see if it is soft. If it is still a little hard, cover again and wait for button to pop up again or for screw type to hiss. Cook for another 20 minutes then again let pressure escape before opening. This time bean is soft and both pressure cooker and slow cooker methods take and remove the tea bag from the beans.

Now do not throw the juice at all just let it stay in the cooker until you get the rest of the masla made on the stovetop using regular stovetop messures. In a regular pot I placed on a stove I set it on high heat and let it get hot then I added 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 drop of either coconut or mustard oil, 1 onion or shallot chopped, Then I added the both of the masalas the cholay masala powder and garam masala links in the second paragraph of this post.

Add 3 cloves of garlic and 1 small piece of ginger to mortar and pestle and grind then add to masala mix in pot, 1 pinch each of turmeric and red chili powder, either 1 pinch of frozen grated coconut or desiccated coconut and stir. Add either 4 aloo bukaras or 1 pinch of tamarind, 1 green chili deseeded and chopped, 1 chopped green or red tomato. Lower heat and cook until mushy.

Add the chickpeas and stir and cover for and cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with either mint or cilantro which is optional. Enjoy with plain desi yogurt, achar (pickle) of your choice, chapati, paratha, puri, batura.

I am going to do a batura post one day Inshallah. It is also a part of a common breakfast eaten in Pakistan which consists of halwa which is already posted, puri which I am also intending on making and posting and an egg and it is also eaten with samosa in a samosa chat.

I have a samosa post too and I am going to combine this with the samosa post to make up a samosa chat Inshallah. Also you can drink chai or kawa too after you eat this at breakfast time too.

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