Sour chickpeas - Khatte chole (Alu Chole)
source: Indian Cooking, Madhur Jaffrey, pg. 129

Known variously as chickpeas, garbanzos and, in India, chholas and kabuli chanas, these unsplit, heart-shaped legumes provide North Indians with some of their tastiest snack foods. As a child in Delhi, I much preferred buying my chholas from itinerant street vendors. They were invariably sourer, spicier and much tastier than anything produced at home. (One of the reasons for my partiality to 'unclean bazaar food', as my father called it, may well have been that we were forbidden to eat it!) In this recipe, I have tried to reproduce that elusive 'bazaar' taste which made me an addict of the dish many years ago.

Although Khatte chole are generally eaten as a snack in India, I serve them at my lunches and dinners, with vegetables, meats and rice.

Serves 6:

2¼ cups (350g) chickpeas picked over, washed and drained
7½ cups (1.75 litres) water
3 medium onions, peeled and very finely chopped
About 2½ teaspoons salt
1 fresh, hot green chili, finely chopped
1 tablespoon very finely grated fresh ginger (grate after peeling)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala (see page 18)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper


Soak the chickpeas in 7½ cups (1.75 litres) of water for 20 hours. Put the chickpeas and their soaking liquid into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer gently for an hour and a half or until chickpeas are tender. Strain the chickpeas and save the cooking liquid.

Put 2 tablespoons of the chopped onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, green chili, ginger and lemon juice into a tea cup. Mix well and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy, wide, casserole-type pot over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the remaining chopped onions. Stir and fry for 8-10 minutes or until the onion bits develop reddish-brown spots. Add the tomatoes. Continue to stir and fry another 5-6 minutes, mashing the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon. Put in the coriander, cumin and turmeric. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds. Now put in the drained chickpeas, 1¾ cups of their cooking liquid, 2 teaspoons of salt, the garam masala and cayenne. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook very gently for 20 minutes. Stir a few times during this period.

Add the mixture in the tea cup. Stir again to mix. Serve hot or lukewarm.