Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole) - No Onion No Garlic

An Instant pot version of the Pindi Chole recipe without onion, garlic, and tea bags, but still the same authentic flavors and dark brown color. This Pindi Chole recipe, also known as Punjabi Chole, uses 18 different spices to achieve a unique and delicate balance of spices with many recipe enhancements, creating a perfect aroma to entice everybody and please the palate. If you want to try a chole without onion and garlic, you will love this recipe.

Jump to:

• What is Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole)?
• What Makes this Pindi Chole Recipe So Flavorful
• My Tips for the Best Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole)
• How to Make Pindi Chole in an Instant Pot
• How to Serve
• Recipe

While growing up in India, I thought chickpeas, or chole, could only be used for an authentic Amritsari Pindi Chole recipe. However, since I started traveling abroad, I noticed the popularity of chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, as a staple ingredient in many cuisines. Chickpeas initially cultivated in the Mediterranean region, increased in popularity worldwide due to their culinary versatility. They are one of the healthiest foods, full of good carbohydrates, healthy protein, and fiber. Chickpeas have a low glycemic index, making them an ideal option for people who want to avoid blood sugar spikes.

What is Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole)?

Pindi Chole is also known as Punjabi Chole. Chole means chickpeas, so Pindi Chole is a flavourful chickpea curry dish. To make Pindi Chole, you typically soak dried chickpeas overnight (or you can use canned chickpeas for faster preparation). The chickpeas are then simmered in tomato onion gravy. The complexity and flavor profile of the recipe depends on how many spices you use and the perfection you are looking for.

Amritsari Pindi chole is commonly paired with a leavened deep-fried bread called bhature.

What Makes this Pindi Chole Recipe So Flavorful

The authentic Amritsari Pindi Chole recipe is made by simmering boiled Chickpeas or Chole in onion tomato gravy with numerous spices. Since Pindi Chole is a crowd-pleaser recipe, it works excellently for entertaining friends or hosting a get-together. Often, these get-togethers are for spiritual and religious occasions where one would need Sattvic (no onion and garlic) food. Hence, I am sharing my take on a chole recipe without onion or garlic, which contains a great list of ancient Ayurvedic spices, like ginger, cumin, carom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, dry annardana, turmeric, and tamarind. These spices are excellent sources of potassium and calcium, with powerful anti-inflammatory properties while aiding digestion.

My Tips for the Best Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole)

Those who follow my recipes know I always want to enhance them to make them more healthy, flavorful, and unique. In this no onion, no garlic chole recipe, you will find some key modifications compared to the authentic recipe I developed over the years after many experiments and trials.

1. First and foremost, you don’t need to use tea leaves or bags to bring out the dark tone or hue of the chole. I use a healthy ingredient called "dry amala (gooseberry) slices," which also increases the iron content of this dish.
2. Have you ever cooked Pindi Chole in mustard oil? Try it next time when you cook because it greatly enhances this dish's overall flavor.
3. Adding a boiled, mashed potato to the gravy is a game changer. It helps to thicken the gravy and elevates this dish to another level.
4. Adding roasted and ground cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, dry amla powder, and tamarind pulp instead of amchur powder provides so much flavor and nutrition to this dish.
5. Don’t forget to add a few paneer cubes towards the end of the cooking process.
6. This chole recipe without onion and garlic can also be vegan if you do not add paneer cubes at the end or substitute with extra firm Tofu.

How to Make Pindi Chole in an Instant Pot

Some preparation is needed if you make this Pindi Chole (Punjabi Chole) recipe with dried chickpeas rather than canned chickpeas.

If using dried chickpeas - the chickpeas must be soaked for at least 6-8 hours in water before cooking. This is needed to obtain the right texture. Overnight soaking works best, but if you are in a hurry, you can also soak the chickpeas in hot water for 3-4 hours. Keep changing the hot water as the water cools down with time. After soaking, discard the water and cook the chickpeas in fresh water using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

Using canned chickpeas will significantly reduce the cooking time to less than half. To make Pindi Chole with canned chickpeas, prepare the tomato masala/gravy in an Instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker.

1. Before starting to cook, prepare a masala bag and keep it aside for later use. To make a masala bag, take all the ingredients from the masala bag group and crush them. Put them in a spice bag or make a potli using cheesecloth.
2. Set the Instant Pot to 'Saute' mode and adjust the heat setting to 'Normal' level. When the display reads hot, add oil to the inner pot.
3. Add hing, cumin seeds, ajwain, and bay leaves when the oil heats up.
4. Next, coarsely crush dry annardana in a mortar and pastel and add to the oil. Sauté the spices in the oil for a few seconds.
5. Then add julienne ginger and chilies, and fry for approximately 30 seconds.
6. Add tomato puree, mix thoroughly, put a glass lid on, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the oil separates from the tomato masala.
7. When tomato masala starts separating oil, add all the spices and mix well.
8. Add boiled and mashed potato, mix well, and saute for another five minutes.
9.  While tomato masala and potatoes are getting sauteed, rinse and drain the canned chickpeas.
10. Add rinsed chickpeas, dry amla, masala bag, and water to the tomato masala. and stir everything well.
11. Cancel the saute mode at this point, close the lid, set the vent to 'sealing', and pressure cook for 8 minutes on Pressure Cook/Manual mode.
12. Wait for the pressure to release naturally, and open the lid after the pin drops. Remove the masala bag/potli.
13. Mash up a few beans using a potato masher or a wooden spoon. This makes the Pindi Chole creamy and thick. Turn on saute mode and add tamarind pulp, mix well.
14. Add paneer cubes and cover to simmer for a few minutes on saute mode. This will help the paneer to absorb the flavors from the spices.
15. Pindi Chole is ready to devour; top it with some fresh cilantro and ginger before serving it with Bhatura.

How to Serve

For condiments, some people prefer spiced green chilies. However, I like to serve it with sweet and sour green mango launji. Both of these are shown in the picture below. 

Pindi chole is commonly paired with a leavened deep-fried bread called Bhature.

I hope you will try this Pindi Chole recipe without onion and garlic. Please comment and let me know how your friends and family liked it!

Recipe

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