Boil the Chickpea

• Wash the chickpea/garbanzo beans and then soak overnight with dried Indian gooseberry (amla). I use a tea dipper as it will be easy to remove the amla once we are ready to boil the chickpea.
• Make the fresh chana masala powder by dry roasting spices mentioned and then ground it to powder.
• Next day, boil the soaked chickpea with black tea. Just take the water you need to boil the chana and then bring to boil separately in a pan. Add black tea leaves and let it simmer for a few minutes. Then strain to a pressure cooker, add the soaked chickpea and pressure-cook it until it's soft but holds shape.

  For electric pressure cooker, it takes 36 to 40 minutes.
• In a cast iron pan or pot or wok, heat oil and add cinnamon stick and green cardamoms and clove. Then add onion and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for a while until it looks softened.
• Add 2 tablespoon of freshly prepared chana masala, salt and turmeric and little chili powder too.
•  Cook the spices until you see oil being released on the side. Keep stirring as needed to avoid it from burning.
• Add ¼ cup of the boiled chana and mash it. This will create a nice thick gravy.
• Add rest of the boiled chana along with some of all the water. Add the tomato purée and stir it around.
• Cover and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle dry mango powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir it around. Taste for salt. And add more if needed.
•  In a small pan, heat ghee, along with sliced ginger and green chili too. Add the hot ghee tadka to the chola and mix it around.
• Garnish with cilantro leaves if you want and serve.