• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carve Your Craving

Vegetarian and Vegan easy recipes on a budget. Learn how to cook healthy meals at home that saves money.
  • home
  • Recipes
    • Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
    • Bakers Lounge
      • cakes/ cupcakes/ cookies
      • Frosting / Icing
      • breads
      • other bakes
    • Indian Platter
      • Starters
      • Curries & Vegetables
      • breads / rice
      • Chat
      • South Indian
    • International Cuisine
      • Appetizers
      • Pasta / Noodles /Rice
      • Other Entrees
    • Accompaniments
      • soups
      • salads
      • Dips & Dressings
    • Breakfast & Mid-Day Snacks
    • Desserts / Ice creams / Sweets
    • Fusion
    • Beverages / drinks
    • microwave
  • How To
  • Tips and tricks
  • about
  • Contact Page
  • Mentions
  • Reader’s success stories
  • Privacy Policy
Home » All Recipes » Chole Without Onion Garlic & Tomatoes

Chole Without Onion Garlic & Tomatoes

By Khushboo 10 Comments September 4, 2021 September 4, 2021

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
Jump to the recipe

Please don’t swipe away! Yes, you read it right!! This delicious Punjabi chole recipe is recreated without using any onion, garlic, or tomatoes. Is it hard to believe? Then try it yourself!!! Chickpea is pressure cooked and then tossed in this rich magic gravy that is hard to resist. Made with simple Indian ingredients.

Indian Chickpea Curry served with paratha , fried chilies and yogurt

Being a vegetarian I have grown up eating chickpea more often than I think. My mom made her famous chana masala with hot puris. Other days chole was tossed in a bowl full of chickpea salad. She says beans keep you full for a longer time and you gotta have them at least 4-5 times a week. I completely agree with her. That is the reason you will find a lot of recipes using a variety of beans on my blog!

Punjabi brown chole servedwith yogurt

Jain Chole without onion and garlic

This Jain chickpea curry is as delicious as the authentic Punjabi chole. As our Jain festival Paryushan is going on, I got a lot of messages requesting interesting healthy meal ideas and recipes. In these 8 days of Paryushan Mahaparva, we consume limited food with lots of restrictions. We are not allowed to eat fresh vegetables and fruits. Root vegetables are a big no. We are allowed to consume dried beans, lentils, milk, yogurt, spices, desiccated coconut, a few types of flours.

You can read more about this festival and the rules here. Keeping the above in mind, I often make this Chole recipe without onion, garlic, or tomatoes in Paryushan. And even on Jain tithis like Aatham, Chaudas. You will seriously not miss these ingredients.

Chole without onion and garlic ssrved on a plate

Ingredients to make Chole without onion garlic or tomatoes

  • Instead of tomatoes, garlic, and onion, I have used desiccated coconut and almond flour to create the masala.
  • Amchoor ( dry mango powder) and dried amla powder compensate for the tangy flavor of tomatoes. If you don’t have these I have easy substitutes mentioned below for you.
  • Other masalas include the basic spices from the Indian spice box, dried ginger powder, kasoori methi, and garam masala or chole masala without onion and garlic.
  • I use ghee to make this chickpea curry. If you are Vegan just swap ghee with cooking coconut oil.

The lovely dark brown color Chole

Instead of using tea bags, I have added amla powder to the chickpea after it was boiled. Amla imparts a stunning dark brown color to the chole which looks like authentic Punjabi black chole.

Instructions to make chole in an Instant Pot  pressure cooker

I cook chickpea from scratch in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. If I am in a hurry and forgot to soak the beans then I simply dump the chole with water in my Instant Pot and let it cook without any second thoughts.

How to make Jain chole without onion and garlic in a cooker

Step by step making of chole in an Instant Pot

Cooking chole/chickpea without soaking

When I am pressed on time, I directly cook chickpea in my instant pot. That means no soak and no wait. This method is such a savior during Paryushan or any Jain Tithi as well especially when you can’t soak anything the previous night. The water to chickpea ratio is more in this method as compared to soaked beans. It even has an increased cooking time. The entire process takes approx. 50 minutes. But the good news is the prep time is just 2 minutes. There is zero monitoring later on.

No soak method

Recipe –

1 cup chickpea

3 cups water

Rinse chickpea a couple of times with water. Add it to the instant pot with 3 cups of freshwater.

Put on the lid and press manual High Pressure for 35 minutes. Once the IP beeps, let the pressure come down naturally.

Go ahead with the recipe as mentioned below.

Useful tips to make the best Jain chole

Cook chole in a pressure cooker until soft.

I highly recommend using amla powder for the dark brown chole color.

Always make chole a few hours before serving so that the masala marinates well and the flavor deepens.

If you are Jain, make sure the garam masala you are using doesn’t have onion and garlic powder.

Possible Substitutes to use

  • Swap amla powder with 1.5 tablespoons of tamarind paste.
  • Almond flour and coconut create an amazing masala, you can use ground peanuts if almond flour is unavailable. If you do not consume nuts swap with an equal amount of roasted besan.
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice works well in place of amchoor powder.

How to eat Jain Chole?

  1. I like serving chole with laccha paratha , rotis or steamed rice.
  2. You can even pair it with naan or kulcha.

KEEP IN TOUCH –

Are we friends yet? Let’s connect on-Facebook| Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Pin this recipe for future reference

Punjabi chole without onion garlic and tomatoes on a plate

If you love beans then do try these recipes –

Vegan Stew

Chickpea Vegetable Korma

Oats Chickpea Veggie Pancakes

Palak Rajma Masala

Jain Chole served with pudina laccha paratha and yogurt

Paryushan recipes to try –

Rajasthani Dal Dhokli

Lapsi – cracked wheat sweet

Leftover rice dal vadas

Instant Pot Moth Bean

Green Moong Dal

Saffron Rice Kheer

Rajasthani Khoba Roti

Chole without onion & garlic recipe

Liked this recipe?Do give it a star rating in the comments !
Print recipe
4.32 from 19 votes

Chole Without Onion Garlic And Tomatoes

This Punjabi chole recipe is made without using any onion, garlic, or tomatoes. It is a Jain recipe made in coconut & almond gravy.
Course lunch/ dinner
Cuisine Indian - Punjabi
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Soaking time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 40 minutes
Adjustable Servings -4
Calories 258kcal
Author Khushboo

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried chickpea/ chole
  • Water to soak and cook
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt
  • 1.5 teaspoon amla powder see notes
  • 1.5 tablespoons ghee (coconut oil if vegan)
  • Pinch of of hing / asafoetida
  • ⅓ cup desiccated coconut dry coconut
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour or ground peanuts
  • 2.5 teaspoons garam masala Or Jain chole masala, see notes
  • 2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried ginger powder sauth
  • 1 teaspoon amchoor powder
  • 1 teaspoon kasoori methi
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup water

Instructions

  • Rinse chickpea a couple of times in a colander under cold water.
  • Add it to a big pot with 2 cups of water.
  • Bring it to a rolling boil and let it boil for good 5 minutes. Switch off the flame, cover it with lid, and let it soak for 8 hours.
  • Chole/ chickpeas will double its size after 8 hours.
  • Discard the water and add chickpeas to an Instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker.
  • Add in freshwater just to the level of chickpea.
  • Add salt, bay leaf, and stir.
  • Close the Instant Pot with the lid with a black knob on SEALING POSITION.
  • Press manual 14 minutes High pressure.
  • Once the pot beeps, let it cool down naturally. (NPR)
  • When the silver pin drops down, gently open the lid.
  • Carefully smash a chickpea with a spoon or between your finger to check it’s done.
  • Add in the amla powder and give it a stir.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the gravy masala for the chole.
  • In a pan heat 1.5 tablespoon ghee.
  • Once warm add a pinch of hing.
  • On a low heat, add in dry coconut, almond meal, and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Now add all the masalas except kasoori methi.
  • Follow it immediately with a half a cup of water.
  • Cook the masala on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
  • The masala should be thick because the pot of chole will already have some water.
  • Add couple spoons more water if needed.
  • Once the masala is cooked add that to the pot and stir well.
  • Smash few chickpeas with the back of the spoon.
  • Press saute, on the Instant Pot, and cook the chole covered for 5-6 minutes.
  • Stir occasionally in between.
  • Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  • Add in kasoori methi and cancel saute mode.
  • Chole will thicken considerably as it cools.
  • You may add more water if the chole is thick.
  • At this point, the chole will be light brown.
  • Chole will get the deep brown color as it cools say in 2-3 hours.

Notes

No soak method

Recipe -
1 cup chickpea and 3 cups water
Method
  • Rinse chickpea a couple of times with water. Add it to the instant pot with 3 cups of freshwater.
  • Put on the lid, black knob on sealing position.
  • Press Manual High Pressure for 35 minutes. Once the IP beeps, let the pressure come down naturally.
  • Smash chickpeas carefully with the spoon to see if it is done. If it is soft and smashes easily.
  • You may be left with some extra water. Just reserve and use as needed to make gravy for this curry or maybe later as a stock for some other recipe.
  • Go ahead with the recipe as mentioned i.e add amla powder to the cooked chickpea.
Spice level
The spice level of this curry is 8 on 10, 10 being hot. Always adjust the spices to your taste.

The lovely dark brown color Chole

Instead of using tea bags, I have added amla powder to the chickpea after it was boiled.
Amla imparts a stunning dark brown color to the chole which looks like authentic Punjabi black chole.

Useful tips to make the best chole

  • Cook chole in a pressure cooker until soft.
  • I highly recommend using amla powder for the dark brown chole color.
  • Always make chole a few hours before serving so that the masala marinates well and the flavor deepens.
  • If you are Jain, make sure the garam masala or chole masala you are using doesn't have onion and garlic powder.

Possible Substitutes to use

  • Swap amla powder with 1.5 tablespoons of tamarind paste.
  • Almond flour and coconut create an amazing masala, you can use ground peanuts if almond flour is unavailable. If you do not consume nuts swap with an equal amount of roasted besan.
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice works well in place of amchoor powder.
  • If you are not following Jain festivities then add 2 finely chopped green chilies,
  • Fresh ginger in place of dried one and top it with a fistful of fresh cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Click photo & send it @carveyourcraving or tag #carveyourcraving on Facebook or Instagram to be featured!

Conclusion

Satvik recipes are yummy and I make them often. It is a great change from making the curries using onion and garlic. Do give it a try!

Some more recipes like this below -

« Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Gatte Ki Sabji (Jain – no onion or garlic) »
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Email

Filed Under: All Recipes Tagged With: instant pot, jain, no onion no garlicSeptember 4, 2021

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sweta mehta

    August 27, 2022 at 6:33 am

    Tried ur recipe…it came out very nice…i really like the flavor of coconut in chole…thanks a ton.

    Reply
    • Khushboo

      September 01, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      Thank you for the wonderful feedback Sweta, I am glad you liked the favor.

      Reply
  2. Manju

    September 25, 2021 at 10:46 am

    5 stars
    Hi Khushboo,
    I made this recipe today and it turned out delicious.loved it.Thanks

    Reply
  3. Hina Ratani

    September 13, 2021 at 10:06 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe!! Made it during Paryushan and otherwise too. Delicious rich taste👌👌👍👍

    Reply
    • Khushboo

      September 14, 2021 at 11:41 am

      That is lovely Hina! Thank you for this lovely feedback!

      Reply
  4. Virali

    September 06, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Tried this recipe today and it turned out amazing. My family loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe ❤️

    Reply
    • Khushboo

      September 07, 2021 at 10:00 am

      I am glad that they liked it. Thank you for the lovely feedback!

      Reply
  5. Sanjana

    September 04, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Khushboo, I tried this recipe today as Paryushan is going on. Thank you for sharing delicious ideas. My family loved it and couldn’t believe it was made without main ingredients like tomato, onion and garlic. It was very tasty. I served it with masala puris.

    Reply
  6. Ena

    August 21, 2020 at 3:43 am

    Hi,
    Great quick recipe for chole! What can we replace the almond meal with? Don’t have it at hand so wondering if it can be substituted.
    Thanks 😊

    Reply
    • Khushboo

      August 25, 2020 at 3:34 pm

      Hey Ena, you could to 1.5 tablespoons roasted besan or equal amount of desiccated coconut. You can even do 1 tablespoon cashew paste instead.

      Reply

comments and suggestions are welcome Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Meet Khushboo!!

Hi , welcome to carveyourcraving. My blog is all about easy to make delicious meals with a twist. Read More…

Let’s connect here!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Never miss a new recipe! Subscribe here.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2023 -2021 carveyourcraving.com

 

Loading Comments...