Ingredients:
Kabuli (White) Channa – 2 cups
Water – 4 cups
Salt – ½ tsp
Bade Elaichi (Big Cardamom) – 1
Cloves – 5
Cinnamon – 1 small piece
Garlic – ½ tsp, minced
Ginger – ½ tsp, minced
Onion – ½ medium, chopped
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Green Chili – 1 or to taste, slit
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Hing (Asofoetida) – pinch
Haldi (Turmeric) – ¼ tsp
Tomato Sauce – ½ cup (1/2 of 8 oz. can)
Garam Masala – ¼ tsp
Chole Masala – 2 tsp
Dhania Powder – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)
Lemon Juice – ½ tsp (to taste)
Cilantro – 5 sprigs, chopped for garnishing

Method:

1. Soak 2 cups Channa in 4 cups Water for at least 3 hours.
2. In a pressure cooker, add Channa with the Water, Salt, Bade Elaichi, Cloves, Cinnamon, Garlic, Ginger, Onion and Tomato.
3. Pressure cook for 2 whistles, reduce flame to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Heat Oil in a separate medium sized, non-stick pan.
5. Add Hing and Haldi.
6. Add Tomato Sauce, mix well and sauté until oil starts to separate.
7. Add Garam Masala, Chole Masala, Dhania Powder and Red Chili Powder – mix well and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add cooked Channa (with the water) to the pan and mix well.
9. Boil for 5 minutes or to get a thicker gravy, pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
10. Add Lemon Juice and adjust Salt, Chili Powder and Chole Masala to taste.
11. Garnish with Cilantro.
12. Serves 4-5

Tips:

1. If you don’t have time to soak the Channa for 3 hours, bring Channa and water to a boil on the stove, in a pan with a tight fitting lid. Boil for 5 minutes and turn off stove. Cover the pan with the lid and let it stand for 1 hour. Your Channa should be ready to pressure cook.
2. If you don’t even have one hour to soak the Channa, try using canned Garbanzo Beans. The process is the same except let the pressure cooker whistle only 1 time and then turn off stove.