Soak choles in water overnight.
Dip Tea Bags and Black Cardamom, bay leaves n gooseberries in the choles. Pressure cook Choles until 5 whistles or more until they are cooked and tender.
Once cooked discard the tea bags, gooseberries. You can keep the Black Cardamom n bay leaves in the Chole’s that's fine. Keep aside 2 cups of water before you drain out the chole.
Make puree of onion. N chop one onion. Keep it aside. Also make Tomato Puree and keep that aside.
Prepare the chole masala powder n keep it aside. See recipe below.
Heat oil in heavy bottom pan at high heat. Add cumin seeds when oil is hot. Add asafoetida, add onion purée n chopped onion. Fry till they get almost brown. This will take about 7-8 minuets. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry it for minute or so till the raw flavor of ginger n garlic is gone. Add tomato purée and let it cook thoroughly until the gravy thickens up and the oil separates on the side of the pan. This will take about 7-8 minutes.
Add chole masala powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, aamchur powder, salt to taste. Roast all the masalas in the gravy really well.
Add cooked chick peas/chole to the gravy n let it cook for a minute or so. This will infuse the gravy n masala flavor into the chole. Add water from the chole that has some tanginess from gooseberries. This will add unique flavor to the chole. Add water to get desired thickness of the gravy. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Let it simmer for 30 minuets.
For garnish and final touch, take ghee in a pan. Add ajwain, let it splatter. Add julienne ginger n split chillies. Fry for a minute. Add pomegranate seeds if you like the taste of it. (I don’t) add red chili powder n add it to the chole. Add chopped coriander leaves n your chole is ready!!
Serve it with some hot bhature or kulchas.
