Chole: Punjabi Chickpea Curry Explained, and What to Eat It With

In short: Chole (also chhole or chana masala) is a Punjabi curry of chickpeas simmered in a dark, tangy onion-tomato masala. Its sourness comes from dried mango (amchur) and pomegranate seed (anardana), and black cardamom gives it depth. It is famous with bhature as chole bhature. Our Punjabi Chole (₹160, 285 g, serves about 2) is ready in 3 to 4 minutes.

What makes chole taste the way it does?

A chole masala of dried mango, pomegranate seed, black cardamom, ajwain and black salt, cooked into onion and tomato until dark. Many cooks simmer the chickpeas with tea leaves or amla for colour. Ours uses dried mango, pomegranate seed, black cardamom, ajwain and black salt. It contains cashew nuts.

Chole, chana masala or chole bhature?

The names overlap. Chole usually means the Punjabi style, dark and tangy; chana masala is often used for any chickpea curry; chole bhature is chole with deep-fried bhature bread, a Punjab and Delhi breakfast and lunch favourite.

What do you eat chole with?

Bhature, kulchas or puris; over Jeera Rice as chole chawal; topped with raw onion, green chilli and lemon.

How do you heat it?

Drop the sealed pouch into boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or empty it into a pan for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium flame. It keeps 12 months at room temperature, so there is nothing to thaw. Once opened, eat it straight away, or refrigerate it and finish within 24 hours. More in how to heat a ready-to-eat pouch.

It is cooked in small batches in our family kitchen in Morbi, sealed in a foil pouch at 121°C with no preservatives, and delivered across India (2 working days in Gujarat, 3 to Mumbai, 3 to 5 elsewhere; free delivery above ₹799). More in our Punjabi classics.

Questions people ask

Is chole the same as chana masala?

Very close: chole usually means the dark, tangy Punjabi style; chana masala is a broader name for chickpea curry.

Is chole healthy?

Chickpeas give protein and fibre; how rich it is depends on the oil and what you eat it with.

Does chole have onion and garlic?

Punjabi chole is usually made with onion and garlic, and ours is; it is not Jain.

What is the difference between chole and rajma?

Chole is made with chickpeas, rajma with red kidney beans; both are Punjabi favourites. See rajma, explained.