Chana Batata | Lagda | Aloo Chole | Chole Chaat | Chana Chaat | Chickpea Chat

 Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas (kabuli chane/chhole)

2 large potatoes or 10 baby potatoes (aloo)

2 medium sized tomatoes (tamatar)

Handful of tamarind (imli)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (zeera)

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (raai)

1-2 cloves of garlic (lehsan  ke beej)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirchi)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

1 teaspoon sugar (shakkar)

1/2 teaspoon salt or as per taste (namak)

10-12 curry leaves (kadipatta)

1 green chilli OPTIONAL (hari mirchi)

Fresh coriander leaves (hara dhaniya)

1 tbsp oil (tel)

Method:

1. Wash well and soak the chickpeas the night before or at least 8 hours before cooking.

2. Once the chickpeas are doubled in size, boil them in a pressure cooker for 6 whistles on medium, with 4-5 cups of water and one teaspoon of salt.

3. Wash and boil potatoes. You can boil potatoes along with the chickpeas if you like.

4. Wash and soak tamarind. Remove all the seeds and threads.

5. When potatoes are cooled down peel them and take some of the potatoes in a blender jar add tomatoes, tamarind, garlic, and cumin seeds and grind it to a fine paste using boiled chickpea water.

6. Heat oil in a pot and splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves then add salt, sugar, chili powder, and turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute and then add prepared paste. When the raw smell is gone and the masala is cooked well, add chickpeas and cubed-boiled potatoes.

7. Cook on high till starts boiling then cover and slow cook for 20-25 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves and slit green chili.