Chana Masala

A North Indian and especially Punjabi dish dating in its current form to at least the 19th century, though chickpea stews are far older across the subcontinent (chickpeas have been cultivated in India for over 3,000 years). The Punjabi pairing with bhatura — chole bhature — became Delhi street-food canon after the 1947 Partition, when Punjabi refugees from Lahore brought the dish with them; the iconic Sita Ram Diwan Chand stall opened in Paharganj in 1947.

Punjabi dhaba staple — kala chana simmered in onion-tomato masala darkened with anardana or amchur. The black-tea-bag trick is what gives the gravy its near-black hue, not over-roasted spice.

Whole chickpeas in a dark brown gravy that's almost dry, clinging to the beans rather than pooling. Tang up front from amchur or pomegranate seed (anardana), then onion-tomato sweetness, then a long warm tail of black cardamom and cumin. Served with bhatura (puffed fried bread) for chole bhature, or just rice. If the gravy is bright red and watery, it was made the butter-chicken way — that's a different dish.

The gravy's dark color comes from chickpeas being boiled with a tea-bag or amla (Indian gooseberry) tucked into the pot — the tannins stain the beans deep brown. Sourness is layered on, not from tomato alone: amchur (dried green mango) or anardana (dried pomegranate seed) is the Punjabi tell, ground into the masala. Skipping the sour element is the most common home-cook miss.