I’ll go ahead and give (my own) recipe an A+. Better yet a medal. And then I guess I’ll go ahead and wear that medal since I mean, the chickpeas obviously can’t. 🥇 In all seriousness, can we please take a second to discuss why certain recipes can be considered award-winning? Why is it okay for cookies or cakes or chili to win awards but not chickpeas? I suppose if I’m being honest with myself, I’d be terrible at judging a chickpea competition. I’d probably award gold medals to my recipes for mango chickpea curry and chickpea sundal too. But to be fair, they deserve them. I guess we should get back to this recipe…
What is Tawa Chole?
Tawa chole just means “stovetop chickpeas.” I suppose I could also call this Punjabi sukhe chole, which just means “dry chickpeas.” These pan-fried chickpeas are coated in spicy, savory, and tangy spices. This is a simple recipe with complex flavor, thanks to the blend of spices I use here, which includes amchur, a tangy and fruity powder made up of dried green mangoes. Tawa chole is different from the better-known chana masala, which is a chickpea curry that takes a bit longer to make (though well worth it on a day when you’re not in a rush). Both of these chickpea dishes are North Indian recipes. If you’d like to try a South Indian chickpea stir-fry, try my Tamilian sundal.
Parent Approved.
Every now and then, I’ll get a little nervous before sharing a recipe on the blog. Usually, the nerves only come when I share a classic dish that carries high expectations, like gajar halwa or rajma. But for some reason, I was a bit nervous about sharing this recipe. I kept thinking it was too good to be true, considering how simple it was to make. Normally, when I get this feeling, I’ll ask my parents for their feedback before posting a recipe here on the blog. But because of social distancing, I haven’t been able to have them over and cook for them. Instead… being the thoughtful daughter that I am (lol), I mailed them some measuring cups and spoons and asked them to test some of my recipes for me. A huge ask (especially when it comes to Indian parents who eyeball everything), I know. They are amazing. This is the text they sent me after trying this recipe. I took my dad’s advice and the updated recipe is what you see below. They loved it and I’m confident you will too. They are the best. There are a lot of things that you can do with these spicy stir-fried chickpeas: Let me know how you decide to eat/serve the tawa chole. I’ll just be over here (wearing my medal) waiting to hear from you. 🙂 Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
