Lahori Chikar Cholay
لاہوری چکڑ چھولے
Chikar means mud, which tells you exactly what these cholay look like: chickpeas cooked so long that half of them break down into a thick, dark gravy that clings to the rest. In Lahore's old city they are breakfast, ladled out from big pots before sunrise and eaten with kulcha or naan. A spoon of baking soda softens the chickpeas, a generous of ghee and spices goes on at the end, and the result is rich, earthy and very filling.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 40 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Drain the chickpeas and put them in a large with the water, baking soda, salt and the tea bundle. Bring to a boil, skim, then cover and simmer for 60–75 minutes, until they are so soft they crush easily between your fingers.
Remove the tea bundle. Add the ginger and garlic paste, chili, coriander, cumin, anardana and tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring often.
Now mash about a third of the chickpeas against the side of the pot with a heavy spoon or a wooden , stirring them back in. Keep mashing and simmering for 10 minutes until the cholay are thick and muddy, with whole chickpeas in a dense gravy.
Stir in the garam masala and taste for salt. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
For the , heat the ghee in a small pan until hot. Add the cumin seeds and, after a few seconds, the crushed red chilies. Pour immediately over the cholay. It will sizzle loudly.
Top with ginger strips, green chilies and coriander and serve hot with kulcha, naan or puri.
Kitchen notes
The tea bundle gives the cholay their dark brown colour without changing the taste. Don't let the leaves loose in the pot.
Use only half a teaspoon of baking soda. More softens the chickpeas faster but gives a soapy taste.
In a pressure cooker, the chickpeas take 25–30 minutes; then continue from step 2.
Breakfast in old Lahore
Walk through the old city of Lahore early on a Sunday and you’ll find queues at the cholay shops: big copper pots of dark, thick chickpeas, kulchas coming out of the tandoor and plates passed over the heads of the crowd. Chikar cholay are a breakfast built to last until lunch.
How the texture happens
There’s no onion-tomato masala fried at the start, which is what sets chikar cholay apart from most chickpea curries. Instead, dried chickpeas are boiled with a pinch of baking soda until they are completely soft. The spices go into the pot, and then a third of the chickpeas are mashed against the side of the pot and stirred back in. That mash is what thickens the gravy into the “mud” that gives the dish its name.
A muslin bundle of black tea leaves simmered with the chickpeas darkens the colour, a trick many cooks also use for chana masala. Anardana adds a light sourness.
The tarka
The finishing isn’t optional. Ghee is heated until very hot, cumin and crushed chilies sizzle in it for a few seconds, and it is poured over the pot so the aroma hits the whole kitchen. Some cholay shops add the tarka to each plate.
Serving
Serve with kulcha, naan or puri, sliced onions, lemon and a cup of doodh patti. Cholay keep for 3 days in the fridge and freeze well.
Questions people ask
Can I use tinned chickpeas?
Yes. Use three 400 g tins, drained, with 3 cups of water, and simmer for 30 minutes before mashing. They won't get quite as creamy.
How is this different from chana masala?
Chana masala keeps the chickpeas whole in an onion-tomato masala. Chikar cholay have no fried onion base; they are cooked down and partly mashed into a thick, porridge-like gravy, then finished with a tarka.
Can I make them the night before?
Yes, they're even better. Reheat with a splash of water, and add the tarka just before serving.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
