Lasuni Chhole

There’s this friend of mine. We worked together in Hyderabad and lived about 5 streets away from each other. We spent many evenings together, cooking and eating at home, or checking out the many restaurants that kept mushrooming in the twin cities. But one thing irked me. She’d always try out their chhole-bhature. And then say that they didn’t know how to prepare it. We argued endlessly about why she had to bother ordering the stuff at all, but you know how these arguments go, don’t you?


One day, I decided to make chhole at home and she gave me this recipe over the phone. Being the ardent devotee of garlic that I am, I fell for it. It is simple and every time I make it, I get nice compliments. Now, that’s not easy to resist, is it? This may not be the recipe that she gave me, but it is what I remember and make time and again!

2 cups Chickpeas, soaked and boiled
3 tbsp Garlic, chopped finely
3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
2 Onions, chopped finely
2 Tomatoes, chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger, julienned
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Chilli Powder
½ tsp Pomegranate Seeds, powdered
1 tsp Chana Masala (optional)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste


Mix the chickpeas with the garlic and coriander leaves and keep aside for an hour or two.

Heat the oil in a pressure pan. Add the onions and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes along with the ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander powders along with the chilli powder. Add the salt and the powdered pomegranate seeds. If you are using the chana masala, add it now. Add the marinated chickpeas and about 1 ½ cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles (7 minutes).

When done, add some water depending on the consistency you're looking to achieve and mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy.

Serve with pooris, rotis or parathas. This is off to Sra for her A Fruit A Month (AFAM) - Pomegranate event. I used the seeds of this fruit... finally something different.