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Punjabi · Indian

Chole masala

Vegetarian

छोले मसाला · chole masālā

A dark, tangy Punjabi blend for chickpea curry: roasted coriander, cumin, chillies, black cardamom and pepper ground with crisp-roasted anardana, amchur, kasuri methi, dry ginger and black salt.

Chole masala is a Punjabi condiment from India, ready in about 27 minutes and made with coriander seeds, black cardamom and anardana (dried pomegranate seeds). It serves 40 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
10 min
Total
27 min
Serves
40
Level
Easy
Calories
—

Ingredients

40 teaspoons (about 2 g each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Roast the anardana (opens in a new tab) alone over low heat, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the seeds are dry, crisp and a shade darker — sticky anardana will not grind. Tip out.

  2. Step 2

    Over medium-low heat roast the coriander for 3 minutes, then the cumin and chillies for 2 minutes, until fragrant and darker.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Roast the black cardamom (opens in a new tab), peppercorns (opens in a new tab), cinnamon, cloves (opens in a new tab) and bay leaf (opens in a new tab) for 1–2 minutes. Off the heat, toss the kasuri methi (opens in a new tab) in the pan until crisp.

    • 2 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Tip everything onto a wide plate in a single layer and cool completely, about 10 minutes. Warm spices release oil and steam in the grinder and turn pasty and clumpy.

    • 10 min

  5. Step 5

    Grind everything roasted to a fine powder with the nutmeg (opens in a new tab). Add the amchur (opens in a new tab), dry ginger and black salt (opens in a new tab) and pulse to blend. Sift and regrind.

    Food safety: Roast in a dry pan, never one with water droplets; and grind in short bursts — chilli dust from the grinder lid stings eyes and throat, so let it settle before opening.

  6. Step 6

    Spoon into a clean, completely dry glass jar or spice tin, label with the date and keep away from the stove, light and steam. Always use a dry spoon.

About this dish

Origin
Punjab, India · Commonly attributedTypical home formulation for Punjabi and Amritsari chole; the sour notes (anardana, amchur) and black cardamom are the signature.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Toasted
Taste
tangy, smoky, earthy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Coriander seeds · Black cardamom · Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) · Amchur (dried mango powder) · Cumin seeds · Dried whole chillies
Techniques
Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

Nutrition not available for this recipe

Not enough data to calculate: Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds), Amchur (dried mango powder). We show nothing rather than a made-up number.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use 1½–2 tbsp for 2 cans of chickpeas, added with the tomatoes; the dark colour deepens if the chickpeas are boiled with a black tea bag.

Common mistakes

  • Under-roasting the anardana, which clogs the grinder and spoils the batch.

Serve with

  • Chole bhature and Amritsari chole kulche.
  • Chana masala and chana chaat.

Food safety

  • Roast in a dry pan, never one with water droplets; and grind in short bursts — chilli dust from the grinder lid stings eyes and throat, so let it settle before opening.

Storage

  • Airtight, cool and dark, for 3 months.

Variations

  • Pindi chole masala: More black cardamom and anardana, and the chickpeas are finished dry with hot ghee poured over.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

About this masala

Type
Dry spice blend
Texture
Fine powder
One batch makes
about 80 g
Keeps
about 3 months
Store
Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
Recipe
Traditional

Punjab. Makes Chole masala, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas

Used in

None of our dish recipes use it yet — it keeps well, so it’s worth having on the shelf.

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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