Recipes For Healthy Life - By Nisha Gupta

 छोले चावल Punjabi Chole Chawal is a comforting North Indian meal made with tender Kabuli Chana cooked in a rich onion-tomato masala and served with fluffy Basmati Rice. This pressure-cooker method is suitable for everyday lunch, dinner or a weekend family meal. Recipe Information Preparation time: 20 minutes Soaking time: 8 hours Cooking time: 45 minutes Total time: Approximately 9 hours Servings: 4 Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi Course: Main course Cooking method: Pressure cooker and stovetop Dinesh Flour Mills Products Used The official Chole Chawal Combo contains Basmati Rice, Kabuli Chana and Chana Masala in three separate packets. Buy the complete Chole Chawal Cooking Combo. Products can also be purchased separately: Buy Dinesh Flour Mills Kabuli Chana Buy Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice Buy Dinesh Flour Mills Chana Masala Ingredients For Punjabi Chole 1 cup Dinesh Flour Mills Kabuli Chana 3 cups fresh water for pressure cooking 1 bay leaf 1 small cinnamon stick 1 plain black tea bag, optional for a darker colour ¾ teaspoon salt, or according to taste 2 tablespoons oil or ghee 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 2 medium tomatoes, pureed 1½ tablespoons Dinesh Flour Mills Chana Masala ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon coriander powder ½ teaspoon amchur powder or 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi, optional 1 cup reserved chickpea cooking liquid Fresh coriander and ginger juliennes for garnish For Basmati Rice 1 cup Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice 1¾ cups water 1 teaspoon ghee or oil ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, optional ½ teaspoon salt For Serving Red onion rings Lemon wedges Green chillies Papad or pickle, optional Method 1. Soak the Kabuli Chana Rinse the Kabuli Chana thoroughly. Soak it in enough water for approximately eight hours or overnight. Drain the soaking water before cooking. 2. Pressure-Cook the Chana Transfer the soaked chana to a pressure cooker. Add three cups of fresh water, bay leaf, cinnamon, tea bag and salt. Pressure-cook over medium heat for five to six whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the tea bag, bay leaf and cinnamon. The chickpeas should mash easily when pressed between two fingers. Reserve approximately one cup of the cooking liquid. 3. Prepare the Onion-Tomato Masala Heat oil or ghee in a heavy pan. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until golden. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for one minute. Add the tomato puree and cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the oil begins to separate. 4. Add the Spices Reduce the heat. Add Dinesh Flour Mills Chana Masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir continuously for approximately 30 seconds. Add a small splash of chickpea cooking liquid if the spices begin sticking to the pan. 5. Simmer the Chole Add the cooked chickpeas and approximately one cup of reserved cooking liquid. Mash two tablespoons of chickpeas against the side of the pan. This helps produce a naturally thicker gravy. Cover partially and simmer over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more cooking liquid if required. Finish with amchur powder or lemon juice and crushed kasuri methi. Taste and adjust the salt. 6. Cook the Basmati Rice Rinse the Basmati Rice three or four times, until the water becomes mostly clear. Soak it for 20 minutes and drain. Heat ghee in a saucepan and add cumin seeds, if using. Add the drained rice and gently stir for 30 seconds. Pour in 1¾ cups of water and add salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for approximately 12 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the covered rice rest for 10 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork. 7. Serve Place the hot Basmati Rice in a bowl or thali and spoon the Punjabi Chole alongside it. Garnish with coriander and ginger juliennes. Serve with onion rings, lemon, green chilli, papad or pickle. Cooking Tips Soak the chickpeas overnight for more even cooking. Do not add tomatoes or acidic ingredients before the chickpeas become tender. The tea bag is optional and is used only to deepen the colour. Mash a small quantity of chickpeas to thicken the gravy without flour. Rest the cooked rice before fluffing so the grains remain separate. Chole generally develops a deeper flavour after resting for 20 to 30 minutes. Quick-Soak Method Place rinsed Kabuli Chana in a heat-resistant bowl and cover it generously with boiling water. Cover and leave for one hour. Drain and pressure-cook using fresh water. Quick-soaked chickpeas may require additional cooking time. Frequently Asked Questions Can Chole be prepared without a tea bag? Yes. The tea bag only adds a darker colour and can be omitted without changing the main cooking method. Why are my chickpeas still hard? Older chickpeas, insufficient soaking or limited cooking time may cause this. Add hot water and pressure-cook for another two to three whistles. Can I make this in an electric pressure cooker? Yes. Cook soaked chickpeas on high pressure for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, followed by natural pressure release. Can leftover Chole be stored? Cool it completely and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat thoroughly, adding a splash of water if the gravy has thickened. #CholeChawal #PunjabiChole #ChanaMasala #NorthIndianFood #PunjabiFood #IndianRecipes #PressureCookerRecipes #KabuliChana #BasmatiRice #HomeCooking #VegetarianRecipes #DineshFlourMills

 कढ़ी चावल Punjabi Kadhi Chawal combines a slowly simmered yogurt and besan curry with golden onion pakoras and fluffy basmati rice. Finished with an aromatic red chilli and cumin tadka, it is a familiar North Indian meal made for relaxed family lunches. Prepare it using Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan and Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice. Recipe Information Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes Servings: 4 Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi Course: Main course Diet: Vegetarian Dinesh Flour Mills Products Used 1½ cups Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan, divided between kadhi and pakoras 1½ cups Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice Ingredients for the Kadhi 2 cups slightly sour curd, approximately 500 g ½ cup Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan 5 cups water ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp coriander powder Salt to taste 2 tbsp ghee or cooking oil 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp fenugreek seeds One pinch asafoetida 1 tsp grated ginger 1 green chilli, slit 6 to 8 curry leaves, optional Ingredients for the Besan Pakoras 1 cup Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 green chilli, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped ½ tsp carom seeds ½ tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp coriander powder Salt to taste One small pinch baking soda, optional Approximately ½ cup water Oil for frying Ingredients for the Final Tadka 1 tbsp ghee ½ tsp cumin seeds 2 dried red chillies ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder Ingredients for Basmati Rice 1½ cups Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice 2¼ cups water ½ tsp salt, optional 1 tsp ghee, optional How to Prepare the Kadhi Mixture Place the curd in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the Barik Besan, turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Whisk until the besan is completely combined and no dry lumps remain. Gradually add five cups of water while whisking. Keep the mixture aside. How to Make the Besan Pakoras Combine the Barik Besan, sliced onion, green chilli, coriander, carom seeds, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Add water gradually and prepare a thick batter that lightly coats the onion slices. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Add a small pinch of baking soda just before frying, if using. Heat oil over medium heat. Drop small portions of batter carefully into the oil. Fry the pakoras in batches until evenly golden. Avoid making them too large because smaller pakoras absorb the kadhi more evenly. Remove and place them on absorbent paper. Keep aside. How to Cook Punjabi Kadhi Heat two tablespoons of ghee or oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they begin to crackle, add asafoetida, ginger, green chilli and optional curry leaves. Reduce the heat and slowly pour in the prepared yogurt-besan mixture while stirring continuously. Increase to medium heat and continue stirring until the kadhi reaches its first gentle boil. This helps prevent the curd from separating and the besan from settling at the bottom. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes. Stir every few minutes, especially along the bottom of the pan. The kadhi is ready when the raw aroma of besan has disappeared and the consistency is smooth and lightly thick. Add the fried pakoras and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes. Add a little hot water if the kadhi becomes too thick. Prepare the Final Tadka Heat one tablespoon of ghee in a small tadka pan. Add cumin seeds and dried red chillies. Switch off the heat and add Kashmiri red chilli powder. Immediately pour the hot tadka over the prepared kadhi. How to Make Fluffy Basmati Rice Rinse the basmati rice gently until the water is mostly clear. Soak it for 20 minutes and drain completely. Add the rice, 2¼ cups water, optional salt and ghee to a heavy saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave the rice covered for another 10 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Serving Suggestion Serve Punjabi Kadhi Pakora hot with fluffy basmati rice. Add onion rings, green chilli, mango pickle, lemon and roasted papad for a traditional North Indian lunch. Important Cooking Tips Use room-temperature, slightly sour curd for the characteristic kadhi flavour. Whisk the curd and besan thoroughly before adding water. Stir continuously until the kadhi reaches its first boil. Simmer the kadhi slowly so the besan cooks completely. Add pakoras during the final 10 minutes. Adding them too early can make them break apart. Make small pakoras because they soften more evenly in the kadhi. Kadhi becomes thicker as it rests, so keep it slightly loose while cooking. Storage and Reheating Refrigerate cooled kadhi and rice in separate airtight containers. While reheating, add a little water to the kadhi and stir over low heat until thoroughly hot. Prepare fresh rice when possible for the best texture. Purchase the Ingredients Order Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan for the kadhi and pakoras, and serve them with Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice.