Dhaba-Style Chole Recipe: Make Authentic Spicy Chickpeas at Home with This Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Dhaba-Style Chole Recipe: Bring the irresistible flavors of highway dhabas to your kitchen with this authentic dhaba-style chole recipe. Learn how to make perfectly spiced chickpeas at home with simple ingredients and an easy method.

There’s something undeniably special about the spicy, smoky, and flavorful chole served at Indian roadside dhabas. The thick, aromatic gravy paired with fluffy bhature or jeera rice is a comfort food many of us crave. If you’ve ever wanted to recreate that authentic dhaba-style chole at home, this easy and foolproof recipe is all you need.

Follow this step-by-step guide to make rich, flavorful, and perfectly cooked Punjabi chole that tastes just like your favorite highway dhaba’s signature dish.

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🧂 Ingredients for Dhaba-Style Chole

1. 1 cup chickpeas (kabuli chana), soaked overnight
2. 2 bay leaves
3. 1 large black cardamom
4. 1-inch cinnamon stick
5. 1 teaspoon tea leaves (tied in a muslin cloth)
6. Salt to taste
7. ¼ teaspoon baking soda
8. 5–6 tablespoons oil or ghee
9. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10. A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
11. 1 medium onion, blended into a paste
12. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
13. 2–3 green chilies, slit
14. 2 medium tomatoes, pureed
15. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
16. 2 teaspoons coriander powder
17. 1 teaspoon red chili powder
18. 2 tablespoons chole masala
19. ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
20. ½ teaspoon garam masala
21. 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
22. A small piece of julienned ginger
23. 1–2 green chilies for garnish
24. ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

🍳 Method: How to Make Dhaba-Style Chole

Soak and Boil the Chickpeas:

Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain the water and transfer them to a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water, salt, baking soda, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, and the tea leaves bundle.

Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high flame, then reduce to low and cook for 5–6 whistles until the chickpeas are soft and tender. Once done, remove the tea bundle and whole spices.

Prepare the Base Masala:

Heat oil or ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter, followed by a pinch of asafoetida.

Add onion paste and sauté until golden brown. Then, add ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for one further minute to release the scent.

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Cook the Spices:

Add the tomato puree along with a pinch of salt. Cook until the oil separates from the masala.

Now, add turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder, chole masala, and amchur powder. Stir and cook on low flame for 2–3 minutes.

Combine with Boiled Chickpeas:

Add the boiled chickpeas along with a cup of their cooking water. Mix well and slightly mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy.

Add garam masala and kasuri methi. Cover and simmer on low flame for 10–15 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse deeply.

Prepare the Final Tadka:

In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of clarified butter. Add ginger slices and green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds, turn off the heat, and mix in the Kashmiri red chili powder. Pour this tempering over the hot chole for that perfect dhaba-style aroma.

Garnish and Serve:

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with bhature, puri, naan, or jeera rice.

Your restaurant-style dhaba chole is now ready—spicy, tangy, and packed with flavors that will leave everyone asking for seconds!

🌶️ Pro Tip:

To get the authentic color and smoky flavor, never skip adding tea leaves while boiling chickpeas. It gives the chole a deep brown hue and that signature dhaba-style taste.