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Grad Student Chole

 It's weird how I never wrote this one down. It was a staple in graduate school, and it's a super forgiving recipe..adapting to "whatever you manage to have on hand"...you'll see that theme here:

Heat about 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp ginger paste (jar is ok), 1 tbsp minced garlic (or garlic paste), and saute for a few seconds. Add one finely chopped red onion (or two if they are small, or white onion..whatever you have on hand is fine). Saute for a few minutes until onion turns slightly brown around the edges. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder (or coriander cumin powder, whichever you have on hand), 1 tsp raw mango powder (amchur, optional), 1 tsp chole masala (optional. Can also add garam masala). Saute all the spices for a few more seconds. Add a splash of water if needed to avoid burning the spices. Then add 1 can peeled and ground tomatoes (or use fresh, or tomato sauce, whichever you have on hand..in a pinch even pizza or pasta sauce works too). Add salt to taste, mix and cover. Stir occasionally, and cook for a few minutes until oil starts to separate (basically, the tomatoes need to thicken up). Add a tbsp of kasuri methi (optional. You can also add dry mint if you have it, or fresh mint, or chopped cilantro). Now add 2-3 tbsp yoghurt (and/or a few tbsp of sour cream, if you have that on hand, or simply skip), and mix quickly to prevent the yoghurt from curdling. Add two small cans of chickpeas (drained), or one large can. Adjust the salt, Add about a cup of water, cover and let it simmer for about 10-15 mins. You can garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if you happen to have it on hand, otherwise skip. Serve with rice, or bread, or ...you guessed it...whatever you have on hand :-) 


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