Choley- Spicy Chickpeas-No Onion or Garlic version

So, here is another chickpea recipe. These spicy chickpeas is different from my favorite slow cooker chickpeas, and my super simple choley. This is dark and spicy choley cooked without onion and garlic. Saatvik and so super flavorful. And it is so much simpler done this way. The chickpeas cook with some very basic spices while the real magic happens with the dark and dry masala.  So, instant pot plus about 15 minutes of hands-on time. Now the question you might ask is whether this site needs another chickpea curry. I mean you have the what I call the classic version and then this super simple version. Well, this one is special much like my chickpea and red lentil soup.

The Story of Choley – Spicy Chickpeas

There in sometimes lies the beauty of Indian cooking. We can use the same ingredients and churn out magically different dishes. Just simple potatoes, we can make them several different ways. However, I do mean this recipe is special. It us all about the creativeness of the spices. They are roasted deep and resulted in a rich almost Umami flavor.

This is one of those recipes that look complex but is relatively simple if you have the ingredients and then this is where I come in. I have broken this down into simple manageable steps.

The Seasonings in this recipe for Choley

The smoky spices are tempered with the tangy crushed dried pomegranate seeds. I will warn you that those are absolutely essential for this dish. So yes, this is a traditional dish and does a nice balance of essential spices. Instead of the usual onions that you find in Punjabi variations of choley you find thinly sliced ginger.

My mother in law actually boils the ginger a little before slicing it into slivers. I find just using nice and young ginger, very thinly julienned works just fine.

How to Enjoy Choley or Spicy Chickpeas

Simple and satisfying. I have found this dish is one of those that are a hit with my husband’s family. Especially if I take the time to make them with crisp and freshly fried Bhatura. A match made in chickpea heaven. And just like that it is truly almost fall. I actually felt that amazing crispness in the air this morning.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot  and Air Fryer Facebook group .

Pick up a copy of my Instant pot cookbook Instant Indian  here, along with The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

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