Punjabi cooks simmer chickpeas in butter and tomato for hours—the slow reduction, not extra spices, creates that deep restaurant-style richness.
Butter Chole / Chana (Chickpeas)
Dive into the delightful world of Butter Chole, where hearty chickpeas are enveloped in a luscious, buttery sauce that's simply irresistible! With a splash of rich cream and a hint of aromatic spices, this dish is comfort food at its finest. Perfect served with warm naan or fluffy rice, it’s a must-try for any culinary adventure!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- Chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste (30 ml)
- 1 onion diced
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2 tablespoons @fadwamasala Butter Chicken Masala (28 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1 to 1.5 cups heavy cream (240-360 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 3 cans of chickpeas washed and drained
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 tsp red chili (optional) (5 ml)optional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
403
Protein
11g
Carbs
36g
Fat
25g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion until golden brown.
- 2
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until it no longer smells raw.
- 3
Add butter chicken masala, salt, and red chili powder, then add a splash of water to sauté the spices.
- 4
Once fragrant, add tomato paste and a little water to loosen it up, sauté until it no longer smells raw.
- 5
Add heavy cream and stir until the desired color is achieved.
- 6
Add the washed and drained chickpeas, bring to a bubble, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- 7
Finish by adding chopped cilantro and serve with garlic naan.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Bloom your butter chicken masala in oil for 45-60 seconds after the ginger-garlic paste until the raw aroma dissipates, because fat-soluble spice compounds (capsaicin, curcumin) need lipid carriers to fully dissolve and distribute their flavor throughout the sauce.technique45-60 seconds
- ✓Add tomato paste before the heavy cream and sauté it for 2-3 minutes until it darkens slightly and loses its acidic smell, because this caramelization (Maillard reaction) reduces raw tomato acidity from ~4.5 pH to ~5.2 pH, preventing it from curdling the cream.timing2-3 minutes, pH 4.5→5.2
- ✓Temper the heavy cream by whisking 2-3 tablespoons of hot curry base into the cream before adding it to the pan, because raw cream added directly to a 180°F+ sauce can break (fat globules separate) due to rapid protein denaturation.technique2-3 tablespoons tempering ratio
- ✓Simmer for exactly 10 minutes at 180-190°F (just below boil) after adding chickpeas; higher temperatures above 205°F will cause cream to separate and break down the delicate emulsion you've built.timing10 minutes at 180-190°F
- ✓Use canned chickpeas rather than dried because their softer cell walls (already gelatinized during canning) won't rupture from the acidic tomato paste and cream, keeping your curry texture silky instead of grainy.ingredient
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Punjabi cooks simmer chickpeas in butter and tomato for hours—the slow reduction, not extra spices, creates that deep restaurant-style richness.
Butter Chole / Chana (Chickpeas)
Dive into the delightful world of Butter Chole, where hearty chickpeas are enveloped in a luscious, buttery sauce that's simply irresistible! With a splash of rich cream and a hint of aromatic spices, this dish is comfort food at its finest. Perfect served with warm naan or fluffy rice, it’s a must-try for any culinary adventure!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- Chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste (30 ml)
- 1 onion diced
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2 tablespoons @fadwamasala Butter Chicken Masala (28 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1 to 1.5 cups heavy cream (240-360 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 3 cans of chickpeas washed and drained
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 tsp red chili (optional) (5 ml)optional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
403
Protein
11g
Carbs
36g
Fat
25g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion until golden brown.
- 2
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until it no longer smells raw.
- 3
Add butter chicken masala, salt, and red chili powder, then add a splash of water to sauté the spices.
- 4
Once fragrant, add tomato paste and a little water to loosen it up, sauté until it no longer smells raw.
- 5
Add heavy cream and stir until the desired color is achieved.
- 6
Add the washed and drained chickpeas, bring to a bubble, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- 7
Finish by adding chopped cilantro and serve with garlic naan.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Bloom your butter chicken masala in oil for 45-60 seconds after the ginger-garlic paste until the raw aroma dissipates, because fat-soluble spice compounds (capsaicin, curcumin) need lipid carriers to fully dissolve and distribute their flavor throughout the sauce.technique45-60 seconds
- ✓Add tomato paste before the heavy cream and sauté it for 2-3 minutes until it darkens slightly and loses its acidic smell, because this caramelization (Maillard reaction) reduces raw tomato acidity from ~4.5 pH to ~5.2 pH, preventing it from curdling the cream.timing2-3 minutes, pH 4.5→5.2
- ✓Temper the heavy cream by whisking 2-3 tablespoons of hot curry base into the cream before adding it to the pan, because raw cream added directly to a 180°F+ sauce can break (fat globules separate) due to rapid protein denaturation.technique2-3 tablespoons tempering ratio
- ✓Simmer for exactly 10 minutes at 180-190°F (just below boil) after adding chickpeas; higher temperatures above 205°F will cause cream to separate and break down the delicate emulsion you've built.timing10 minutes at 180-190°F
- ✓Use canned chickpeas rather than dried because their softer cell walls (already gelatinized during canning) won't rupture from the acidic tomato paste and cream, keeping your curry texture silky instead of grainy.ingredient