Chole/Chana Masala

INGREDIENTS:
A.)Ingredients for pressure cooking:
1.)1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans, white chickpeas, kabuli chana or chole
2.5 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking the chickpeas.
2.)½ tsp salt
3.)1 tsp baking powder

B.)Ingredients for the masala gravy:
1.)2 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2.)2 cups tomato puree
3.)1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
4.)¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
5.)2 tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
6.)1 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
7.)¾ to 1 tsp amchur powder/dry mango powder - (optional and only to be added when you do not have dry pomegranate seeds)
8.)2 to 3 green chilies finely chopped
9.)1 to 1.25 cups water or the stock in which the chickpeas were cooked.
10.)1.5 to 2 tbsp oil
11.)salt as required

Method:
1.)rinse and soak the chole (chickpeas) in enough water overnight. add enough amount of water as the chole increase in size after soaking it. rinse the soaked chickpeas.
2.)In a pressure cooker add the chole along with 1tsp baking powder & 1 cinnamon stick to give it a flavor then add water.
3.)season with salt and pressure cook the chana for 8 to 9 whistles. the chana should be cooked well an softened. the chole should be soft when you mash it with a spoon. the chana should not give you a bite when you eat it.

4.)heat oil in a pan or kadai.add ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma goes away.
5.)then add chopped onions and saute till the onions turn translucent or light brown.
add tomato puree & saute  till they get bubbles and the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala.
6.)then add the powdered chole masala, along with the red chili powder, turmeric powder & garam masala powder
7.)stir the dry masala and then add slit green chilies
8.)add the cooked chole. stir well.
add salt. then add about 1 to 1.25 cups of the stock in which the chana was boiled. you can also water instead.
9.)stir and cover the chana.
10.)simmer on a low to medium flame. you can also cook without the lid. the gravy will thicken and reduce. mash a few chana. this will help thicken the gravy. simmer till you get the consistency you prefer. the consistency is not thin, but medium consistency or dry.
11.)Serve the punjabi chole with kulchas, bhaturas, pooris, rotis, along with sliced onions, tomatoes and lime. chole also tastes good with steamed rice or jeera rice.