Channa Masala/Chole

Channa Masala/Chole:

The other day i decided to make some chole/Channa without the Channa masala from MDH or any other ready made chole masalas and it came out just fine.I took help online(show me the curry and Manjula's kitchen).Here is how i made it.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas/Channa:1 cup
onions-1 red
garlic:2-3 cloves
ginger : a small piece
tomatoes:2-3 or tomato paste available in the market half a small can
tea bags :2 (optional)
garam masala- 2 tbs
bay leaves:2
cinnamon stick:1 piece
cardamom:2-3
cloves-4-5
coriander seeds/dhania: 1/2 tsp
jeera/cumin:2 tsp
black peppercorns: 3-4
dry red chillies-1 small

How i made the Channa masala:

1. First, in oil i fried coriander seeds ,jeera ,cloves cardamom,cinnamon stick,black peppercorn and the red chilli and after it cooled down , put it in a mixie and powdered it(u can also make it into a paste by adding some water) and kept it aside.
2. Next in a pan or kadai i heated oil and fried the onions ginger and garlic and after it cools down ground it to a fine paste.
3. Meanwhile , in a pressure cooker i added 1 cup Channa(chick peas) (soaked overnight) along with 2 tea bags.( Tea bags give a dark color to the Channa and will not affect the taste of the Channa masala, even i was skeptical at first and tried it out... came out just fine.If u want u can reduce the number of tea bags to just one.) and pressure cooked it till 3 whistles .
4. Next in the kadai i heated some oil and put the bay leaves after which i put in the tomato paste/puree (or just give the tomatoes a go in the blender) and fry it till the raw smell fades away.(another tip is make sure the oil separates from the tomato paste)
5. Next add in the onion paste and mix it together nicely,putting in some garam masala and the home made Channa masala..
6. Add in the Channa/chickpea(along with  the pressure cooked water,little by little) and mix everything thoroughly,adding salt. Make sure the masala is just right . If it becomes too spicy we can add in a little sugar so that the taste is enhanced.
7. Close and cook till the water evaporates,making sure to give it a stir once in a while.add more water if needed.

Serve Hot garnished with raw onions and coriander leaves and our Channa masala is ready to eat !!!

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep....."
--ROBERT FROST