Imli Chole - sweet and sour chickpea curry with tamarind and Indian spices. Vegan Glutenfree Soyfree Recipe.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 2 minutes
  • Cook time: 60 minutes
  • Total time: 62 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Soy-free, Vegan

Ingredients

  • 15 oz can garbanzo beans/chickpeas drained and washed or 1 cup dry chickpeas washed and soaked overnight
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon asofetida ((hing – omit to make gluten-free))
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste or a Tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 2 teaspoon garlic paste or 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or more for a spicier version
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon raw sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of tamarind concentrate or 2 teaspoon of tamarind pulp ((less or more according to taste to adjust the sourness))
  • 1.5-2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp chaat masala or amchur for garnish

Method

  1. In a pressure cooker or a deep pan, add the oil and keep it on medium heat.
  2. Add in the onions and the asofetida(hing) and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (you can puree the onions after this and cook the puree for another 6-7 minutes and proceed with the next steps. This will help make a thicker curry)
  3. Add in the spices, ginger garlic paste, red chili flakes and mix well. Cook for another 3 minutes
  4. Add in the washed chickpeas, salt, sugar, tamarind concentrate and water and mix well.
  5. Pressure cook the beans for 10 minutes if using canned beans, and 20 minutes once the pressure has reached (3 to 4 whistles), if using dry beans that were soaked. (cook longer if you want softer beans).
  6. If cooking in a deep pan, add another half cup water, cover and cook on low-medium heat until chickpeas are tender. about 30 minutes.
  7. Wait for the pressure in the pressure cooker to release naturally before opening. Check and adjust salt and spice according to taste. Mash the beans a little bit. Sprinkle chaat masala or Amchur(dry mango) powder.
  8. Serve hot with Naan or Rotis, or as topping for chaat snacks.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.