Chana Masala Recipe -- Chole Curry -- How to make Chana Masala Curry

Chole masala, chana masala or garbanzo beans curry is a typical Punjabi dish. I have picked it from my old cookery collections. My cousin who stayed for a long period in North India learned it from her neighbor. This chole can be consumed with batura a kind of poori made with all purpose flour, but I prefer to have it with roti or chapati. 
Preparation Time: 10 mins and chana soaking time
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Recipe Category: Side Dish, Curry
Recipe Cuisine: Punjabi, North India
Serves: 6 People

Ingredients:

• Garbanzo Beans/Chole/Chana - 2 Cups
• Tea Bag - 1
• Onion - 2 small
• Tomato - 2 Medium
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Chana Masala - 1 tsp
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Amchur Powder -1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Seed Powder - 1 tsp
• Kala Namak - a pinch
• Green Chillies - 2 
• Cinnamon Stick - 3" inches
• Cloves - 3 to 5
• Shah Jeera - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Soak chana in water overnight.
2. Add salt and tea bag and pressure cook for 3 to 5 whistles, once cooled remove tea bag. 
3. This will make the chick peas dark coloured. If don't want that color we can skip this step.
4. Drain the water and keep them for further use.
5. Chop onion and tomato. Split green chillies.
6. Make ginger garlic paste. I normally make it before hand and refrigerate to use it whenever necessary. 
7. Heat oil in a wok, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and shah jeera. Saute for a while.
8. When they start spluttering add split green chillies and ginger garlic paste. 
9. Stir them and then add onions and tomatoes. Stir them till the onions become translucent and tomatoes become mushy. 
10. Add the drained water, salt, turmeric powder and all the masala or powders given in the list. 
11. Cook it for five minutes. Once it started boiling add cooked chole. Allow this to boil for ten minutes.
12. Serve chana masala curry temper it with chopped onions and lemon with roti, chapati or bhature.