Chole Pozole

Hello and Happy Holidays, Masalitos!

Have you ever had pozole? It's a delicious spicy soup, traditionally served around the holidays. When I think of pozole, I think of fun holiday parties with family and friends. I don't really remember most of the Christmas gifts I got as a kid, but I can surely remember all the delicious food served on my grandma's table, and isn't that what really matters? 

As a side note, it is widely believed that a good pozole can cure the worst of hangovers... or at least make you happy enough to forget about it. Well, I have no scientific evidence to back this up but I can attest to the fact that there is a statistically significant improvement in the amount of tummy happiness after eating pozole.

Pozole is traditionally made with hominy, but hominy can be hard to find depending on where you live, so for this recipe, we're using chickpeas (aka garbanzo, chole, chana). This recipe is basically the mouth-watering offspring of pozole and chana masala. 

As promised, today's recipe uses our previous recipe as its star ingredient: red salsa with tomatillo. You can find the recipe here. Adding garam masala to this salsa, really brings out the flavors of all the spices which complement each other to perfection. Before tasting this soup, take a moment to close your eyes and inhale all the smells, let the layers of spices carry you to Mexico and India. Then dig in and ask for seconds!

I've included instructions for making this recipe from scratch, as well as making it with canned garbanzos and rotisserie chicken.

We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Buen provecho! 

The Masala Mexicana team wishes you a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 2015.  We'll see you next year with a drink recipe to warm you up on a cold January day.

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Recipe

Ingredients
- 1 lb raw chicken drumsticks
- 1 cup uncooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2 cups red salsa with tomatillo (recipe here)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed (you can use less, if desired)
- Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions (with uncooked ingredients)
1. Soak the uncooked chickpeas in water for at least 2 hours (overnight is fine).
2. Boil chicken in water until fully cooked. Once cooked, remove skin and bones and shred the chicken. Do not discard the broth.
3.While the chicken is cooking, rinse the soaked chickpeas and cook them in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water until soft. Time depends on your pressure cooker, mine took about 15 minutes on high heat.
4. Add the cooked chickpeas and chicken to the broth. Also add the salsa, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and allow the pozole to simmer for at least 15 minutes. 
5. Garnish with lime, cilantro, and sour cream. Enjoy!

Instructions (with pre-cooked ingredients)
1. Changes to the ingredient list:
   - Substitute drumsticks with a rotisserie chicken (or leftover turkey), shredded
   - Substitute uncooked chickpeas with a can of cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
   - Add 4 cups of chicken broth
2. In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. 
3. Lower the heat and allow the pozole to simmer for at least 15 minutes. 
5. Garnish with lime, cilantro, and sour cream. Enjoy!