Wash and soak chickpeas in 4-5 cup of water, add pinch of soda and 1 tsp of salt, for best results soak for 10-12 hrs, overnight.

Take a small piece of cotton cloth (non dyed) or an white markin cloth, place the whole spices as mentioned above and 1 tsp of regular tea. Tie a knot tightly. Make spice bag.

Add chickpeas with 3-4 cups of water and drop bag or spices and boot it in pressure cooker for 10 minutes (2 whistles) or boil it directly with heavy base and heavy lid utensil. To save time I use pressure cooker.

Take a Kadhai or any heavy bottom pan with lid. Heat it for 1 minute, add 3 tbsp of ghee and 2 tbsp of mustard oil, after oil is hot and changed it's color then add cumin, asafoetida, cloves, while chilli, bay leaf and black pepper. Let spices splatter.

Add chopped onion, ginger and green chillies and fry for 8 minutes till onion leaves oils add pinch or turmeric and salt, add crushed ginger garlic add 1 or 2 tbsp water in between.

Fry on medium heat and finely chopped tomato, fry tomatoes for 3-4 minutes

Add salt to taste, all the powder Masala for gravy as mentioned like coriander powder, ginger powder, red chilli powder, dry mango powder. Fry all spices till oil start separating.

Now separate Chhole/chickpeas from water. don’t throw the water as it need to be used in gravy, squeeze the potli/spice bag by hand to get spices juice in dark brown water. (Tip even after Chhole is boiled keep them in water till the time we put it in fried spices to get good flavour and creaminess of chickpeas)

Now add Chhole/chickpeas and mix them nicely and keep stirring for 5 minutes

Add water now and cook on high flame for few minutes

When you see bubbles / starts to boil add pomegranate seeds and soaked tamarind.

Cover the lid but leave some space, don’t fully cover it. Let it boil for 2 minutes, crush some chickpeas with ladle or masher

Now cover the lid and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

Garnish it as per your choice, onion slices, green chillies and ginger julienne., Serve with rice or kulcha.