CholeMasala

Name: Chole Masala
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 1 h 2 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi
Ingredients: 100 g dried chickpeas (kabuli chana) (soaked overnight); 500 ml water, for soaking (soaked overnight); all of them soaked chickpeas, drained (pressure-cooked); 250 ml water (pressure-cooked); ½ tsp salt (pressure-cooked); 2 tbsp refined oil; ½ tsp jeera; ¼ tsp hing; 2 onion, peeled, cut in 4; 1 green chilli, stem removed; 10 cloves garlic, peeled; 5 g ginger, peeled; 2 tomato, cut in 2; ¼ tsp turmeric; ¼ tsp cinnamon powder; ¾ tbsp chole masala; ¾ tbsp rajma masala; ¾ tsp garam masala; ¾ tsp salt; all of them pressure-cooked chickpeas, with their cooking water; 1 tbsp ghee (to serve); 5 stems coriander leaves, fine-chopped (to serve)

soak overnight first ↓

5,500+ cooks

★ 4.5

Total time:1hr 10min
Your hands-on time:15min you
Longest hands-free stretch:35min free

+ Soak chickpeas overnight (not in the times above)

15 min44 min

upliance, upliance
This cooks it.
- CHOP
- SAUTÉ
- PURÉE
- STIR
What is it?
upliance is a steel jar on a smart base with a touchscreen. It weighs, chops, sautés, purées, stirs and cooks, and the screen tells you what to drop in next. The chickpeas are soaked and pressure-cooked outside the jar; everything else happens in it. Scroll to watch it make chole masala from above.
You, 1 min
Soak chickpeas overnight
Why?
Plan ahead: rinse 100 g of dried chickpeas and leave them in a bowl with 500 ml of water overnight, about 8 hours. A minute of work, but it has to happen the night before. Soaked chickpeas cook soft and creamy.
You, 3 min
Pressure-cook the chickpeas
Not in the jar?
Not this bit. Drain the soaking water, then put the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 250 ml of fresh water and ½ tsp salt. Let it go on low heat for 5 whistles (about 20–25 minutes), then let the pressure drop. Don't throw the cooking water: it goes into the jar with the chickpeas. Start the jar while the cooker whistles.
You, 8 min
Peel onions, halve tomatoes
How rough?
Peel 2 onions and cut each in 4. Peel 10 garlic cloves (the slowest bit) and a 5 g piece of ginger. Pull the stem off 1 green chilli. Halve 2 tomatoes. Fine-chop a few coriander stems for the end. The fine chopping of the onion masala is the jar's job, not yours.
You, 15 s
Drop 1 of 4
What goes in
2 tbsp refined oil, ½ tsp jeera and ¼ tsp hing, straight into the empty jar.
upliance, 30 s
Sizzles the jeera
Why first?
The tadka. With the crown off, upliance warms the oil and stirs the jeera and hing till they crackle and smell toasty, all in about 30 seconds.
You, 30 s
Drop 2 of 4
What goes in
2 onions cut in 4, 1 green chilli, 10 garlic cloves and 5 g ginger, on top of the tadka. upliance weighs each one as it lands. Lid and crown on.
upliance, 10 s
Chops it fine
No knife?
No knife, no onion tears. With the lid and crown on, the blade turns the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli into fine confetti in about 10 seconds. Scrape the sides down once it stops.
upliance, 3 min
Sautés till golden
Till when?
Crown off so the moisture escapes. upliance sautés the chopped onion masala for about 3 minutes, stirring by itself, till it turns golden and loses its raw smell.
You, 1 min
Drop 3 of 4
What goes in
2 tomatoes cut in half, plus the spices: turmeric ¼ tsp, cinnamon powder ¼ tsp, chole masala ¾ tbsp, rajma masala ¾ tbsp, garam masala ¾ tsp and salt ¾ tsp. Pop the crown back on.
upliance, 5 min
Cooks, then purées
Then?
upliance cooks the tomatoes and spices down for 5 minutes, then blitzes everything into a smooth, dark masala in the same jar. Scrape the sides down when it stops.
You, 30 s
Drop 4 of 4
What goes in
All the pressure-cooked chickpeas, with the water they cooked in. That starchy water is what makes the gravy thick. If the cooker isn't done yet, the masala can wait in the jar.
upliance, 35 min
Cooks down, stirs itself
35MIN FREEleave the kitchen
What's the jar doing?
With the crown off, upliance simmers the chickpeas in the masala for about 35 minutes, stirring slowly the whole time so nothing catches, till the gravy thickens and the chole soak up the spices. Go shower, call your mum, knead the bhature dough.
You, 1 min
Ghee, coriander. Serve.
Finish
Spoon the chole into a bowl, pour 1 tbsp of ghee over the top and scatter the chopped coriander. Eat hot with poori, bhature, rice or roti.

Your 70 minutes, split

15 min

soak · pressure-cook · peel · 4 drops+20 min waiting outside the jar, hands-off

44 min35 free

chop · sauté · purée · stir · cook

Plus, ahead: soak chickpeas overnight. Not counted in these times.

Full recipeIngredients by drop, every step, nutrition

Punjabi-style chole masala: chickpeas soaked overnight and pressure-cooked, then simmered in an onion-tomato masala that the jar chops, sautés, purées and stirs for you. Eat it with poori, bhature, rice or roti.

North Indian, Punjabi. Veg main course. Serves 2. About 1 hr 10 min start to finish; about 15 min of it is you. Plan ahead: soak chickpeas overnight. Cooked 5,500+ times on upliance.

Ingredients (2 servings)

The night beforesoaked ~8 hours

Dried chickpeas (kabuli chana) 100 g
Water for soaking500 ml

In the pressure cooker5 whistles, on the stove

Soaked chickpeas drainedall of them
Water 250 ml
Salt ½ tsp

Drop 1the tadka

Refined oil 2 tbsp
Jeera ½ tsp
Hing ¼ tsp

Drop 2chopped, then sautéd golden

Onion peeled, cut in 42
Green chilli stem removed1
Garlic peeled10 cloves
Ginger peeled5 g

Drop 3cooked down, puréed

Tomato cut in 22
Turmeric ¼ tsp
Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp
Chole masala ¾ tbsp
Rajma masala ¾ tbsp
Garam masala ¾ tsp
Salt ¾ tsp

Drop 4cooked ~35 min, stirring

Pressure-cooked chickpeas with their cooking waterall of them

To serve

Ghee 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves fine-chopped5 stems

Steps

The night before (you, 1 min). Rinse 100 g dried chickpeas and soak them in 500 ml water overnight, about 8 hours.
Pressure cooker (you, ~3 min; about 20 min on the stove). Drain and discard the soaking water. Put the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 250 ml fresh water and ½ tsp salt, and cook on low heat for 5 whistles. Let the pressure drop. Keep the chickpeas in their cooking water for drop 4.
Prep (you, ~8 min, while the cooker whistles). Peel 2 onions and cut each in 4. Peel 10 garlic cloves and 5 g ginger. Remove the stem from 1 green chilli. Halve 2 tomatoes. Fine-chop 5 coriander stems for the end.
Drop 1 (you, 15 s). Put 2 tbsp oil, ½ tsp jeera and ¼ tsp hing into the jar.
upliance, 30 s. With the crown off, it sizzles the jeera and hing in the oil, stirring.
Drop 2 (you, 30 s). Add the onion, green chilli, garlic and ginger. Put the lid and crown on.
upliance, 10 s. It chops the aromatics fine. Scrape down the sides.
upliance, 3 min. With the crown off, it sautés the chopped onion masala till golden, stirring by itself.
Drop 3 (you, 1 min). Add the halved tomatoes, turmeric, cinnamon powder, chole masala, rajma masala, garam masala and salt. Put the crown back on.
upliance, 5 min. It cooks the tomatoes and spices down, then purées them into a smooth masala. Scrape down the sides.
Drop 4 (you, 30 s). Add the pressure-cooked chickpeas along with all their cooking water.
upliance, ~35 min. With the crown off, it simmers the chole, stirring slowly the whole time, till the gravy thickens. This is your free time: about 35 minutes away from the kitchen.
Serve (you, 1 min). Spoon into a bowl, top with 1 tbsp ghee and the chopped coriander. Serve hot with poori, bhature, rice or roti.

Nutrition per serving

502 kcal · 45 g carbs · 12 g protein · 31 g fat.

upliancefood All recipes

CholeMasala

soak overnight first ↓

5,500+ cooks

★ 4.5

Total time:1hr 10min
Your hands-on time:15min you
Longest hands-free stretch:35min free

+ Soak chickpeas overnight (not in the times above)

15 min44 min

upliance, upliance
This cooks it.
- CHOP
- SAUTÉ
- PURÉE
- STIR
What is it?
upliance is a steel jar on a smart base with a touchscreen. It weighs, chops, sautés, purées, stirs and cooks, and the screen tells you what to drop in next. The chickpeas are soaked and pressure-cooked outside the jar; everything else happens in it. Scroll to watch it make chole masala from above.
You, 1 min
Soak chickpeas overnight
Why?
Plan ahead: rinse 100 g of dried chickpeas and leave them in a bowl with 500 ml of water overnight, about 8 hours. A minute of work, but it has to happen the night before. Soaked chickpeas cook soft and creamy.
You, 3 min
Pressure-cook the chickpeas
Not in the jar?
Not this bit. Drain the soaking water, then put the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 250 ml of fresh water and ½ tsp salt. Let it go on low heat for 5 whistles (about 20–25 minutes), then let the pressure drop. Don't throw the cooking water: it goes into the jar with the chickpeas. Start the jar while the cooker whistles.
You, 8 min
Peel onions, halve tomatoes
How rough?
Peel 2 onions and cut each in 4. Peel 10 garlic cloves (the slowest bit) and a 5 g piece of ginger. Pull the stem off 1 green chilli. Halve 2 tomatoes. Fine-chop a few coriander stems for the end. The fine chopping of the onion masala is the jar's job, not yours.
You, 15 s
Drop 1 of 4
What goes in
2 tbsp refined oil, ½ tsp jeera and ¼ tsp hing, straight into the empty jar.
upliance, 30 s
Sizzles the jeera
Why first?
The tadka. With the crown off, upliance warms the oil and stirs the jeera and hing till they crackle and smell toasty, all in about 30 seconds.
You, 30 s
Drop 2 of 4
What goes in
2 onions cut in 4, 1 green chilli, 10 garlic cloves and 5 g ginger, on top of the tadka. upliance weighs each one as it lands. Lid and crown on.
upliance, 10 s
Chops it fine
No knife?
No knife, no onion tears. With the lid and crown on, the blade turns the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli into fine confetti in about 10 seconds. Scrape the sides down once it stops.
upliance, 3 min
Sautés till golden
Till when?
Crown off so the moisture escapes. upliance sautés the chopped onion masala for about 3 minutes, stirring by itself, till it turns golden and loses its raw smell.
You, 1 min
Drop 3 of 4
What goes in
2 tomatoes cut in half, plus the spices: turmeric ¼ tsp, cinnamon powder ¼ tsp, chole masala ¾ tbsp, rajma masala ¾ tbsp, garam masala ¾ tsp and salt ¾ tsp. Pop the crown back on.
upliance, 5 min
Cooks, then purées
Then?
upliance cooks the tomatoes and spices down for 5 minutes, then blitzes everything into a smooth, dark masala in the same jar. Scrape the sides down when it stops.
You, 30 s
Drop 4 of 4
What goes in
All the pressure-cooked chickpeas, with the water they cooked in. That starchy water is what makes the gravy thick. If the cooker isn't done yet, the masala can wait in the jar.
upliance, 35 min
Cooks down, stirs itself
35MIN FREEleave the kitchen
What's the jar doing?
With the crown off, upliance simmers the chickpeas in the masala for about 35 minutes, stirring slowly the whole time so nothing catches, till the gravy thickens and the chole soak up the spices. Go shower, call your mum, knead the bhature dough.
You, 1 min
Ghee, coriander. Serve.
Finish
Spoon the chole into a bowl, pour 1 tbsp of ghee over the top and scatter the chopped coriander. Eat hot with poori, bhature, rice or roti.

Your 70 minutes, split

15 min

soak · pressure-cook · peel · 4 drops+20 min waiting outside the jar, hands-off

44 min35 free

chop · sauté · purée · stir · cook

Plus, ahead: soak chickpeas overnight. Not counted in these times.

Full recipeIngredients by drop, every step, nutrition

North Indian, Punjabi. Veg main course. Serves 2. About 1 hr 10 min start to finish; about 15 min of it is you. Plan ahead: soak chickpeas overnight. Cooked 5,500+ times on upliance.

Ingredients (2 servings)

The night beforesoaked ~8 hours

Dried chickpeas (kabuli chana) 100 g
Water for soaking500 ml

In the pressure cooker5 whistles, on the stove

Soaked chickpeas drainedall of them
Water 250 ml
Salt ½ tsp

Drop 1the tadka

Refined oil 2 tbsp
Jeera ½ tsp
Hing ¼ tsp

Drop 2chopped, then sautéd golden

Onion peeled, cut in 42
Green chilli stem removed1
Garlic peeled10 cloves
Ginger peeled5 g

Drop 3cooked down, puréed

Tomato cut in 22
Turmeric ¼ tsp
Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp
Chole masala ¾ tbsp
Rajma masala ¾ tbsp
Garam masala ¾ tsp
Salt ¾ tsp

Drop 4cooked ~35 min, stirring

Pressure-cooked chickpeas with their cooking waterall of them

To serve

Ghee 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves fine-chopped5 stems

Steps

The night before (you, 1 min). Rinse 100 g dried chickpeas and soak them in 500 ml water overnight, about 8 hours.
Pressure cooker (you, ~3 min; about 20 min on the stove). Drain and discard the soaking water. Put the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 250 ml fresh water and ½ tsp salt, and cook on low heat for 5 whistles. Let the pressure drop. Keep the chickpeas in their cooking water for drop 4.
Prep (you, ~8 min, while the cooker whistles). Peel 2 onions and cut each in 4. Peel 10 garlic cloves and 5 g ginger. Remove the stem from 1 green chilli. Halve 2 tomatoes. Fine-chop 5 coriander stems for the end.
Drop 1 (you, 15 s). Put 2 tbsp oil, ½ tsp jeera and ¼ tsp hing into the jar.
upliance, 30 s. With the crown off, it sizzles the jeera and hing in the oil, stirring.
Drop 2 (you, 30 s). Add the onion, green chilli, garlic and ginger. Put the lid and crown on.
upliance, 10 s. It chops the aromatics fine. Scrape down the sides.
upliance, 3 min. With the crown off, it sautés the chopped onion masala till golden, stirring by itself.
Drop 3 (you, 1 min). Add the halved tomatoes, turmeric, cinnamon powder, chole masala, rajma masala, garam masala and salt. Put the crown back on.
upliance, 5 min. It cooks the tomatoes and spices down, then purées them into a smooth masala. Scrape down the sides.
Drop 4 (you, 30 s). Add the pressure-cooked chickpeas along with all their cooking water.
upliance, ~35 min. With the crown off, it simmers the chole, stirring slowly the whole time, till the gravy thickens. This is your free time: about 35 minutes away from the kitchen.
Serve (you, 1 min). Spoon into a bowl, top with 1 tbsp ghee and the chopped coriander. Serve hot with poori, bhature, rice or roti.

Nutrition per serving

502 kcal · 45 g carbs · 12 g protein · 31 g fat.

CholeMasala

How upliance makes chole masala, step by step

This cooks it.

Soak chickpeas overnight

Pressure-cook the chickpeas

Peel onions, halve tomatoes

Drop 1 of 4

Sizzles the jeera

Drop 2 of 4

Chops it fine

Sautés till golden

Drop 3 of 4

Cooks, then purées

Drop 4 of 4

Cooks down, stirs itself

Ghee, coriander. Serve.

Your 70 minutes, split

Ingredients (2 servings)

The night beforesoaked ~8 hours

In the pressure cooker5 whistles, on the stove

Drop 1the tadka

Drop 2chopped, then sautéd golden

Drop 3cooked down, puréed

Drop 4cooked ~35 min, stirring

To serve

Steps

Nutrition per serving

CholeMasala

How upliance makes chole masala, step by step

This cooks it.

Soak chickpeas overnight

Pressure-cook the chickpeas

Peel onions, halve tomatoes

Drop 1 of 4

Sizzles the jeera

Drop 2 of 4

Chops it fine

Sautés till golden

Drop 3 of 4

Cooks, then purées

Drop 4 of 4

Cooks down, stirs itself

Ghee, coriander. Serve.

Your 70 minutes, split

Ingredients (2 servings)

The night beforesoaked ~8 hours

In the pressure cooker5 whistles, on the stove

Drop 1the tadka

Drop 2chopped, then sautéd golden

Drop 3cooked down, puréed

Drop 4cooked ~35 min, stirring

To serve

Steps

Nutrition per serving