Gobi Chole (Cauliflower with Chickpeas)

“Have you ever met a vegetable that you didn’t like?”

“There is no comparison to the comfort you bring.”

“You are a charming legume.”

“Cuddle with me.”

The result of this legendary love affair between cute cauliflower and charming chickpea is a hearty stew called Gobi Chole. This classic of Bharath cooking is very easy to make and very forgiving. No need to fuss or fidget over the ingredients or lack of. All it needs is love.

Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Gobi Chole
(for 2 or 4 for 2 or 1 meal)

1 tablespoon, peanut oil
1 tablespoon, kasuri methi
1/4 teaspoon, cumin seeds
1 onion – finely chopped lengthwise, about 1 cup
4 ripe tomatoes – finely chopped, about 2 cups
1 small head of cauliflower, florets cut, about 3 to 4 cups
1 cup, cooked chickpeas
1 tablespoon each, garlic-ginger-cilantro paste and garam masala powder
1 teaspoon each, salt and red chilli powder or to taste
1/4 teaspoon, turmeric

Place a large, wide pot over high heat and add oil. When hot, put in the kasuri methi and cumin. Let them sizzle for few seconds. Add onion and sauté to soft brown. Add the tomatoes. Stir and cook until they collapse to soft mush.

Add the cauliflower florets and chickpeas to cooking tomatoes. Stir in ginger-garlic-cilantro paste, garam masala powder, salt, red chilli and turmeric. Add about a cup of water. Cover, and turn the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

To thicken the gravy, I usually blend two tablespoons of coconut, cashews or poppy seeds, depending on what I have at that moment in the kitchen and add the smooth paste to simmering gobi chole along with other seasoning. Alternately, blend and add few tablespoons of cooked chickpeas for a low calorie thickener.

Serve the warm gobi chole over hot chapati/paratha/naan or rice. Simple relish made with onion and chillies, and some homemade dahi adds an authentic dabha experience.

Gobi Chole
Gobi Chole for Meal Today

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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14 Responses to “Gobi Chole (Cauliflower with Chickpeas)”

  1. Cilantro says:

    Very well presented. Same can be said about Cauliflower too. It blends well with any veg, lentils and legumes.

    I have always wondered about the taste of peanut oil and I have seen you using it in all your cooking. Any particular reason???

  2. Madhu says:

    like the combo of gobi and channa..nice pics.

  3. Kalyani says:

    Nice combo … will try soon ………

  4. DK says:

    aaah! Comfort food 🙂 I made Rajma saag with roti for lunch today….for the weekend will try this 🙂

  5. Sharmila says:

    I love the whimsical chick-pea cauliflower love affair! Definitely a dish to try!

  6. jennyccy says:

    Chickpeas, cauliflower and curry powder… nice combination! Must try this.

  7. trupti says:

    Sounds good enough to try it!

  8. Indian Girl says:

    Hi Indra !

    Hope you’re doing well !

    I made this a couple of days back because all I had was a can of garbanzos and some frozen cauliflower. Turned out great ! Excellent with both roti & rice ! Thank you for the recipe !

    Hello IG,
    I am doing good. Thanks.:) How are you? I hope the holiday party season is keeping you pretty in beautiful makeup.:)
    Glad to read that you tried and liked this recipe.
    – Indira

  9. Hi Indira,

    Thank you for this recipe.

    I wanted a break from Bengali food and wanted to try something nice :). While browsing thru’ your latest recipe additions, I found the Gobi Chole very interesting. I adapted your recipe and tried it with Turnip (I realised that I had run out of Gobi), and it has turned out amazingly well. The dish has a sweetish tinge, because of the vegetable, but it was a good experiment.

    Wishing you and your dear ones a happy, healthy & fulfilling year ahead.

  10. Nikola says:

    Hi! I’ve been following your blog for some time already and I am excited about learning about REAL Indian kitchen! You inspired me to grow my methi and now I made this recipe: it’s amazing! I only added a bunch of shredded collard leaves at the end and cooked them 1 minute. It’s super healthy and delicious! Thank you!

  11. Siri says:

    Hi Indira, I am making this for tonight’s dinner with roti. Thanks for the idea.

    Best,
    Siri

  12. swetha says:

    Hi Indira,
    I tried the chickpea and brinjal(Baingan chole) curry written in your previous blog page. I get a taste of bitternes whenever I use the combination of cumin+coriader+cloves+cinnamon. Do you have any tips?

  13. Natasha says:

    I’ve made this a number of times and it’s absolutely delicious. I saute the ginger, garlic, cilantro and spices after the onion – the smell is incredible! – and then add the tomato and cook it down before adding gobi and chole. Just finished my second bowl and am already looking forward to eating it again tomorrow!

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