L02 · Lunch · Punjab
Amritsari Chole with Whole-Wheat Roti
Amritsar's dark, tangy chole gets its colour from tea and its sourness from dried pomegranate seed; the chickpeas stay whole but meltingly soft.
- Region
- Punjab (Amritsar)
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Time, as written
- Soak 8 h · Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy–moderate
- Status
- Traditional
- Good for
- Weekend lunch, batch cooking
Nutrition
Good source| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chole only (about 270 g) | 305 | 13 g | 36 g | 10 g | 1 g | 11 g | 10 g | 4.5 g |
| Full plate: chole, 2 rotis, salad, 100 g curd | 615 | 25 g | 91 g | 14 g | 4 g | 21 g | 17 g | 4.0 g |
Headline figures are for the full plate as served, with its stated roti, rice or bhakri; the dish alone is shown in the table.
Tier: Good source. IFCT 2017 has no kabuli chana entry; USDA chickpea values are used. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Plate
Method
Soak chana in 1 litre water for 8 hours. Drain.
Pressure-cook with 750 ml water, the tea bag, salt and baking soda (if using) for 1 whistle on high and 20 minutes on low, until a chickpea crushes easily. Discard the tea bag; keep the dark liquid.
Heat oil; add cumin, then onion. Cook 8 minutes until browned.
Add half the ginger and the chillies for 1 minute. Add tomato, chole masala, anardana and chilli powder. Cook 8 minutes until thick and dark, mashing the tomato.
Add chana and its liquid. Simmer 15 minutes uncovered, pressing a few chickpeas to thicken.
Finish with the remaining ginger. Serve with roti, salad and curd.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Chickpeas supply 11 g per serving; rotis 8 g; curd 3.5 g.
- Boost
- Stir 50 g paneer cubes per serving into the chole for the last 5 minutes (+9 g protein, +130 kcal, +10 g fat).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Pindi chole — omit tomato; use more anardana and dry spices for a drier, darker dish.
- Substitution
- Canned chickpeas (drained, rinsed; about 450 g) save the soaking and pressure-cooking.
- Traditional pairing
- Kulcha or bhatura; whole-wheat roti keeps the plate lighter.
- Storage
- 3 days refrigerated; freezes 2 months.
- Food safety
- Reheat until boiling throughout.
- Meal prep
- Excellent; flavour improves on day 2.
Allergens
Gluten (roti), milk (curd)
Labels: Good source · High fibre · No added sugar · Soy-free · Whey-free · Meal-prep friendly