Chole masala or chana masala?
It’s different. There’s about a million chana masala recipes out there. Some are good. Others are great. But chole masala is truly memorable. I’m not really sure what the difference is between chole and chana masala. They are both chickpea curries. As far as I can tell chole is the Punjabi word for chana. But what matters is that they have come up with a fantastic chickpea curry. Call it chana or chole masala. Doesn’t change the fact that this is a great chickpea curry.
Get the picture yet? I’m saying this is the boss chickpea curry. In my mind anyway. If you came across this dish at a restaurant buffet this is what you would come back for. I’m not saying you should go to an Indian buffet. Would never say that. Just not a fan. Mediocre Indian food sitting on a steam table. Not good. But if you did. And this was being served…
It’s this crazy tomato onion curry. And what makes it special is the spicing. Savoury. Slightly sour. Earthy. A flavour bomb.
Amchoor and anardhana make this special
Two spices used are a bit unusual. They are the ones that make this special. Push it over the top. There’s also some good Indian restaurant technique. Technique is always important. It’s not just the ingredients. It’s what you do with them. The first is Amchoor. Amchoor is dried mango powder. It’s got this earthy, slightly sour taste going on. Like tamarind but not quite. A great taste. The other is Anardhana. Big name. But really just pomegranate seeds. Amazing how good pomegranate is in this curry. Pretty sure this is going to take a trip to your local Indian grocer. Almost nobody has all these ingredients. It’s worth the trip though. Not a waste of time. These same spices are used in lots of Indian cooking. If you like Indian you are going to need them anyway.
Just a great chickpea curry
Chole masala is a great vegetarian entree. Serve it up with an Indian flatbread and a green salad and you have satisfying meal. Seriously. I don’t have even mildly vegetarian tendencies. Look around. This is not a vegan friendly blog. But I like this enough to build a vegetarian menu around it. And I’m happy about it even. Chole masala is also a spectacular side dish for any Indian meal. Any way you serve it, it’s just good. Make it. Eat it. Enjoy it. It may be the best chickpea curry you ever taste.
