Chole with cucumber salad

Chole does not have to mean the oily, bhature-day version. Made at home with a simple onion-tomato masala and paired with a big cucumber-onion salad, it becomes a satisfying everyday lunch. Soak the chana overnight and the cooking itself is straightforward.

Why it helps

Chana is rich in protein and fibre, the two things that make a lunch actually last till evening. The salad is not a garnish here, it is half the plate. All that crunch adds volume and freshness, so you feel properly fed without needing a second helping of rice or extra bhature. When lunch fills you like this, the evening snack attack is much quieter. There is more on that in PCOS cravings.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup kabuli chana (chickpeas), soaked overnight
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chole masala or garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Red chilli powder to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• For the salad: 2 cucumbers, 1 onion, 1 tomato, chopped, with lemon juice, black salt and chopped coriander

Method

1. Drain the soaked chana and pressure cook with fresh water and salt for 5 to 6 whistles, until soft but not mushy.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai. Add cumin seeds, then the onion, and cook until deep golden.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste, then tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and chole masala. Cook until the masala turns glossy and thick.
4. Tip in the boiled chana along with a cup of its cooking water. Simmer for 10 minutes so the flavours soak in.
5. Mash a few chana with the back of the ladle to thicken the gravy without any cream or extra oil.
6. Toss the salad just before serving: cucumber, onion, tomato, lemon juice, black salt and coriander.
7. Serve a generous bowl of chole with a mound of salad, and one roti or a small katori of rice if you want it.

Make it your own

• Squeeze extra lemon and add chopped green chilli to the chole at the table, brightness makes less oil taste like more.
• Stir in a handful of chopped palak in the last five minutes for extra greens.
• Serve with a bowl of curd or chaas for more protein, or keep the meal fully vegan as it is.

Enjoy it as part of the CurviCare Plate, and find more filling options in high-protein Indian foods.