Choley

Chickpea cooking
3 cups of chickpeas
1 black cardamom
4 green cardamom
6 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
3 tea bags
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Water to soak chickpeas

For gravy
1 tbsp cumin seed
3 dry red chili
1 onion paste
3-4 ripe tomato puree
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaf
1 black cardamom
4 crush opened cardamom
4 cloves
1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
1 tbsp Punjabi choley masala
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup oil
1 tbsp kasuri methi
salt to taste
chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

Directions:
Wash and clean the chickpeas properly. In a bowl soak the chickpeas overnight in water with black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf (8 hours needed) Then in a pressure cooker add the chickpeas along with water and whole spices. Add 3 tea bags, salt, and baking powder and lock the cooker. Let it cook for 4 whistles. Then take it off the stove and once the pressure is gone from the cooker open it and take out the tea bags.

Process for gravy
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seed, dry red chili, bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamom, and cloves. Let it infuse in oil for 30 seconds and then add in ginger garlic paste. Cook it until color changes and raw smell is gone (it won't be sticking to the pan). Turn the heat to low and then after few mins add in turmeric and chili powder. In about a minute add in the onion paste (raw onion pureed in a blender with little water). This process will take time but let the onions cook properly. All the water has to evaporate and your onions will become a thick dark brown paste. Cook it till it reaches that consistency. Then add in the tomato puree, choley masala, and coriander powder. Again let this cook until the gravy is thick and dark. You have to be patient and let the masala cook properly. Your masala should be thick like a paste and not like gravy. Then once your masala is cooked and thick add in the choley. Add the water from the choley little at a time depending on how thick of a gravy you want. Do not forget to take tea bags out of the choley before adding it to the gravy. Now add in the kasuri methi and let choley cook in the spices for around 10 mins or until oil separates. Then add in chopped cilantro for garnish. Your choley is ready.