(Updated on March 11, 2023)

Dry Aloo Chole is a popular and deliciously tangy curry from Punjabi cuisine. Simple yet flavourful, this dish is made with a winning combination of chickpeas and potatoes and will be ready in under 30 minutes.

This aloo chole recipe is a wholesome preparation wherein boiled potatoes and chickpeas are brought together in a savoury curry infused with rich spices, aromatics, and seasonings. 

Packed with complex flavours and various nutritional benefits, it is the ultimate vegetarian comfort food you can enjoy for breakfast, as a side dish, or even carried to work in your lunch box. 

With Zilli’s Cold Pressed Spices, you don’t have to worry about peeling, chopping, or making a curry base. This dry aloo chana recipe is easy, convenient, and filling – perfect for serving with kulcha or rice.

Here is how you can make this delectable dry aloo chole at home:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

Cooking Time: 15 minutes.

Serves: 2 people.

Course: Side Dish, Main Course.

Cuisine: Punjabi, North Indian.

Ingredients:

• 100g soaked & boiled chickpeas (chole).
• 3 boiled & chopped potatoes.
• ½ tsp Zilli's Ginger Powder.
• ½ tsp Zilli's Garlic Powder.
• ½ tsp Zilli's Red Onion Powder.
• 1 tsp Zilli's Tomato Powder.
• ½ tsp Zilli's Lemon Powder.
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder.
• 1-2 small green chillies.
• Water.
• 4 tsp mustard oil.
• ½ tsp cumin.
• 1 dry red chilli.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1 inch of cinnamon stick.
• 5-6 cloves.
• One or two pinches of asafoetida (hing).
• 3-4 cardamom (elaichi).
• Salt as per taste.
• ½ tsp turmeric powder.
• ½ tsp coriander powder.
• ½ tsp chaat masala.

How to Make Dry Aloo Chole Dhaba Style:

Prep Work: Soak the chickpeas for 5-6 hours or overnight. Boil the soaked chickpeas until well cooked, strain, and keep it aside. 

Similarly, wash and boil the potatoes until tender. Peel off the skin, dice into one-inch cubes, and set aside.

Making the Aloo Chole:

1. In a bowl, take Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Red Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, and cumin powder.
2. Add a little water and mix well until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. Heat mustard oil in a pan.
4. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, asafoetida, red chilli, and green chilli.
5. Sauté the spices well over medium heat. 
6. Carefully add the prepared masala paste to the pan and let it come to a boil.
7. Next, add the salt, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Stir well to combine.
8. Add the boiled potato cubes and mix well.
9. Now, toss the boiled chickpeas into the curry and add a little water (based on the desired consistency). Mix everything properly. 
10.  Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes over low-to-medium heat. Uncover and stir it again. 
11.  Let the aloo chana ki sabji cook for another 4-5 minutes on low heat as the flavours come together. Switch off the heat.
12.  Add the Chaat Masala and Lemon Powder. Give a good mix.
13.  Lastly, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Your Dry Aloo Chole is ready to be served and enjoyed!

Tips and Variations for Aloo Chole Recipe: 

We recommend using fresh chickpeas for this recipe. However, you can use canned chickpeas if you don’t want to spend time soaking and boiling them. 

You can cook the chickpeas faster in a pressure cooker.

Black chana is also a great alternative to chickpeas in this Aloo Chana recipe.

You can save some of the boiled chickpea stock and use it instead of plain water in the recipe for an enhanced flavour profile.

Variations for Dry Aloo Chana Recipe:

Aloo Chana Chaat: You can turn this aloo chana sabji into a yummy chaat. Layer the potato and chickpea gravy with chopped onion, tomatoes, chaat masala, yoghurt, coriander chutney, and tamarind chutney. Garnish with sev and enjoy!

Aloo Chole Sandwich / Wrap: You can use this dry aloo chole as a filling for a grilled sandwich, wrap, or frankie.

Aloo Tikki Chole: Make a delicious aloo tikki chole chaat. Shallow fry crispy potato patties and top them with flavourful chickpea gravy, green chutney, khatti meethi chutney, and onions.

Serving Ideas: 

It is best to serve Aloo Chole hot.

Make it more indulgent by pairing it with flatbreads like kulcha, poori, naan, bhature, phulkas, tandoori roti, or parathas. 

You can also enjoy this hearty aloo chana with steamed basmati rice as the main course.

Serve it with a bowl of chilled yoghurt or raita on the side to balance the spiciness of the curry.