Tea Time: Pindi Chole Recipe (Tea Steeped Chickpeas)

Pindi Chole is a Punjab dish that features a strong black tea as a base for chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices. Soaking the chickpeas in tea gives them a distinctive rich brown colour. The tannins in the tea give the recipe a tangy, punchy, and unique flavour compared to other chickpea meals. Delicious!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Canned Chickpeas

2 Cups Cool Water

2 Tea Bags

Cooking Oil

1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste

1 -2 Yellow Onions – Chopped

2 Tomatoes, diced.

1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste

Salt – to taste

1 Tsp. Garam Masala

1 tsp turmeric powder

Red chili powder – to taste

Directions:

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Remove chickpea skins if you’d like. Place chickpeas, water, and tea bags in pot of pressure cooker. Cook in covered pot or pressure cooker on medium to medium-high until chickpeas are soft. In the meantime, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic paste and onion. Cook until onions until soft and transparent. Add tomatoes, ginger paste, and salt. Cook, covered for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and mash tomatoes. Add garam masala, turmeric powder, and chili powder. Feel free to add other spices you like, including cinnamon, coriander, and cumin. Stir continuously until mixture thickens. Add chickpeas (with water/tea) and let come to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. If you’d like, lightly mash chickpeas. Drizzle with ghee and sprinkle with extra garam masala. Serve with naan bread.