Too bored to wax eloquent about Pinch’s culinary skills – I’ll post a few pictures, yawn. Some friends had come over for dinner last weekend and Pinch cooked palak paneer and chhole. I made vegetable pulao and cucumber-banana raita.
I have NEVER eaten such delicious chhole before. The secret was – Eden Organic crushed tomatoes, soaked chana (instead of the canned garbanzo beans so commonly available) & Badshah Chhole Masala. It was completely slurpalicious.
Actually, I had to use the flash for the two pictures above and there is simply TOO much of light in the photos. The real colour of the chhole was a dark, dark maroon – YUM!
We had bought some whole wheat naans and a few of them were leftover. Made pizzas with them some days later. Toppings – mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced zuchhini, green bell peppers, black pepper. Base – tomato-basil sauce.
minn says:
Yum. I can’t seem to have enough of Indian food, lately.
That looks really delicious. I haven’t tried Badshah masala yet, but I have had great success with the Parampara masalas.
August 23, 2006 — 2:39 am
Lakshmi says:
Yeah, I have heard loads about Parampara myself.
August 23, 2006 — 2:44 am
ezee123 says:
Looks good to me. Is a branded masala the secret ? or can one safely use any plain old masala combination and maybe add one or two ingredients extra to make it like wht the North indians really made it like say at the Kwality’s restaurant.
August 23, 2006 — 3:27 am
Lakshmi says:
I am sure that you can use other masalas or even better, freshly ground masala. Punjabi chhole tastes different from what I have eaten otherwise. There is some ingredient in it that turns the chhole dark-brown in colour. I think they use pomegranate seeds in the masala.
August 23, 2006 — 3:45 pm
ezee123 says:
yes you are right. Pomegranate seeds and a pinch of black tea water is the secret.;-)
August 23, 2006 — 6:17 pm
invisibelle says:
Yummmmm, that chole looks tasty. I love lots and lots and lots of cilantro. 🙂
August 23, 2006 — 4:01 am
Lakshmi says:
Me too! They can make any dish look fabulous… and turn the simplest dal into something special.
August 23, 2006 — 3:46 pm
iswari says:
Chole recipe? 🙂
(I love trying out different chole recipes, since it’s one of my favorite things!)
August 23, 2006 — 4:05 am
Lakshmi says:
Same old recipe, I guess. Will confirm with hubby and put it up later.
August 23, 2006 — 3:46 pm
rileen says:
Looks great – please convey my compliments to Pinch 🙂
August 23, 2006 — 5:59 am
Lakshmi says:
Will do…:-)
August 23, 2006 — 3:47 pm
ragh_dr says:
That is making me hungry! I have never seen such delicious chhole before. 🙂
August 23, 2006 — 6:30 am
Lakshmi says:
Me too! I swear I had never eaten any chhole as delicious earlier.
August 23, 2006 — 3:48 pm
soleilensuisse says:
Looks yummy. 🙂
I’ve been cooking since January (before that I never even tried, actual full-fledged cooking, i mean). I’m much better at it now, but Indian food takes so much time. I realize that it’s because I don’t know much about it. But to be honest, I also think the food comes out tasty not because my Indian cooking’s great but because of the spices/masala and all. And I’m pretty sure back in India, I’d be just as useful as I was six months earlier!
So, in all, I think Pinch is awesome. 🙂
August 23, 2006 — 8:06 am
Lakshmi says:
So, in all, I think Pinch is awesome. 🙂
Will let him know…:-)
August 23, 2006 — 3:48 pm
warmpinkglow says:
Your Pinch – awesome! 🙂
The chole looks delicious. Soaked channa, you say? Where did you find it?
Channa masala is also one of my own specialties. 🙂
August 23, 2006 — 12:13 pm
Lakshmi says:
🙂 Thanks, Erica.
Soak a cup of chana in water overnight. That’s all! They taste MUCH better than the canned garbanzo beans.
August 23, 2006 — 3:49 pm
warmpinkglow says:
Oh yes! Dried and then soaked. Usually I am not that forward-thinking when it comes to cooking! 😉
The canned ones are good in a, ahem, pinch, but the regular ones do taste so much better generally speaking.
August 23, 2006 — 3:54 pm
hemya says:
I saw the photos in my friends list and somehow I knew it would be you:)….never tried the badshah masala though…..when i was learning to cook and my gravy would be all watery i was told to grind some chole in the mixie and add it to the gravy to make it thicker…in time I learnt the right way….
…got the links yesterday….and have been listening to the songs at work….really nice…thanks a lot…..sent the links to my chacha so he can download them and burn a CD for ma…I’m sure she’ll reallly appreciate those
August 23, 2006 — 2:11 pm
Lakshmi says:
I have heard of that method to thicken the gravy but this one was courtesy the fabulous organic crushed tomatoes. They added to the taste, texture and colour of the chhole…:-)
Glad you like the bhajans. I hope Ma likes them as well.
August 23, 2006 — 3:50 pm
hemya says:
for the moment i’ll have to do with the regular tomatoes we get here…there is a dearth of shops selling good quality organic stuff around here…a few scattered here and there and I lack the enthu to drive there and shop….
August 23, 2006 — 3:59 pm
shri says:
It looks so delicious!
August 23, 2006 — 2:43 pm
Lakshmi says:
Tasted FABULOUS too…:-)
August 23, 2006 — 3:50 pm
sumthn2say says:
Oh I love chhole! Guess every Indian does. But i havent tried the Badshah masale. I used MDH once. However i like to make the masalas myself.
Banana and cucumber raita sounds good. Never tried though.
The photos are lovely. I derive so much pleasure watching food photos. Thanks dear!
August 23, 2006 — 3:38 pm
Lakshmi says:
I’d love to have freshly ground masalas myself but sad to say, I lack the time (and enthu!) to make them. Badshah was quite good.
August 23, 2006 — 3:51 pm
dunefield says:
Yummy!
Aaj raat ko chhole, decided.
August 23, 2006 — 5:31 pm
Lakshmi says:
🙂 Sahi! Tell me how it turns out. Use organic crushed tomatoes – they are great for that nice *hotel-style* thick gravy.
August 23, 2006 — 8:18 pm
dunefield says:
I see, will do. Ek acche chhole ka recipe bhejiye na, something that doesn’t involve overnight work.
arindam2004@gmail.com.
August 23, 2006 — 8:23 pm
surendra says:
Makes me hungry even after I just had lunch 🙂
August 23, 2006 — 6:57 pm
Lakshmi says:
Me too…:-)
August 23, 2006 — 8:18 pm
nithya says:
everything looks yummiliscious
August 23, 2006 — 10:35 pm
Lakshmi says:
And tasted that way as well.
August 24, 2006 — 4:06 pm
spotty_sri says:
Now I’m officially starving. *slurp*
August 24, 2006 — 11:08 am
Lakshmi says:
Me too… waiting for lunch!
August 24, 2006 — 4:06 pm
spotty_sri says:
The difference is (was) I just finished it!
August 25, 2006 — 7:26 am