Cholley (Chickpea Curry)
This vegan builds dried chickpeas, tomatoes and coriander seeds into a crowd-pleasing meal you can have ready in about 75 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, every ingredient resolved to a plant source.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegan — no meat, fish, dairy, egg or honey, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: none of the major allergens we track from the ingredients listed.
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Rinse the dried chickpeas and soak them in plenty of cold water overnight or for at least 8 hours, then drain and rinse again.
- Place the soaked chickpeas in a large pot with the water and a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 60 to 90 minutes until they are tender enough to crush easily between two fingers. Top up with hot water if needed and reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid before draining.
- Toast the cumin, coriander, and nigella seeds in a dry pan for about a minute until fragrant, then lightly crush them in a mortar.
- Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat, add the toasted spices, and once they sizzle add the finely chopped onions. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden brown, then stir in the minced garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes along with the turmeric, chili powder, and salt, and cook down for 5 to 7 minutes until the oil begins to separate from the masala.
- Stir in the cooked chickpeas and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a thick gravy, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, mashing a few chickpeas against the side to thicken the sauce.
- Sprinkle in the garam masala, simmer for a final 2 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve hot with rice or flatbread.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Large pot · Saucepan
Tips & common questions
How long does Cholley (Chickpea Curry) take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Cholley (Chickpea Curry) vegan?
Every ingredient listed on this page resolved to a plant or mineral source in our ingredient ontology — no meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, egg or honey. Labels can still differ by brand, so check packaged items.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Cholley (Chickpea Curry) is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Chana Masala in Paulínia, 2023-10-16.jpg by Parzeus, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.