Farsi Chole

Persian Chickpeas | Farsi Chole

Nokhod in Farsi. Chickpeas are healthy to eat. They are found either cooked in cans, dry in bags (like lentils), or in the deli section of many supermarkets, already seasoned and ready to eat. Many salads and dips use this rather inexpensive protein in abundance. Hummus is the most popular of the dips that are made of chickpeas and are available worldwide. They are also referred to as garbanzo beans and grams. 

This recipe has been created by Niloufer's Kitchen for the occasion of Yalda. Yalda is a festivity of the winter solstice when family and friends gather around the hearth of the home to join in prayers of gratitude and to share a table laden with food, enjoying the longest night of the year together as a family.

A variation on traditional chola that the people of the sub-continent continue to enjoy is served in most Indian restaurants around the world. The delicate flavours of Persian cuisine inspired this recipe. It's best served as an accompaniment or as a dip with crisp mini savoury puris.

Serves 12 as a dip
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1 tbsp oil

350ml / 12 oz chickpeas, drained and washed from a can

1/2 cup crushed onion

1 cup crushed fresh tomatoes

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp advieh spices – see tips

4 crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp salt

2 cups roasted chopped eggplant, can be from a bottle or deli

2 tbsp fresh mixed herbs, finely chopped

1 tsp dried mint

In a pan heat the oil and sauté the crushed garlic and onion until it gets a slight pinkish hue. Add the chickpeas. Now toss in the advieh, salt, tomatoes and eggplant. Mix well. Cover and lower the heat. Cook for 30 minutes or until all the liquid has almost evaporated. It should be moist. Add the fresh herbs. Mix and serve. Sprinkle with crushed dried mint and serve.

Tips

Add 1 tbsp zereshk berries for colour.

Use your favourite fresh herb, coriander, oregano, thyme, basil or mint.

 To roast the eggplant, wash and halve into two. Apply a little oil and a sprinkle of salt. Leave the cut side downward and roast in a

180 °C | 350 °F hot oven for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave to cool for another 30 minutes or until soft. Scoop it out and roughly chop. 

 Optionally, serve nice crisp puris.

Nooshe-Jaan! 

 Advieh is a blend of spices.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is an award-winning book. It was self-published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking: Reviving an Ancient Cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through Amazon Book Depot, Book Depository, and from the publishers.

For more Persian recipes click on

Niloufer's Kitchen: Persian Fusion from read.amazon.com