What more could you want than a spicy and sour chickpea curry with a piece of hot and puffy bhatura, lettuce, and pickle on the side? Yes, we are discussing the Chole Bhature recipe, which is a favourite among North Indians. You can picture how this food tastes because it is a Punjabi delicacy. Here’s how to make it at home, complete with step-by-step photos and comprehensive directions.
Ingredients for Bhatura Chole
- Two cups of overnight-soaked chickpeas
- Two chopped onions
- 1/4 cup of pureed tomato
- One teaspoon of powdered coriander
- Five garlic cloves
- Half a teaspoon of turmeric
- One and a half teaspoons of chana masala powder
- One teaspoon of cumin
- One tablespoon of ginger
- Three tablespoons of onion paste
- salt as needed
- One teaspoon of powdered garam masala
- One teaspoon of powdered red chilli
For Dough
- One cup of all-purpose flour
- Three teaspoons of curd or yoghurt
- refined oil when needed
- salt as needed
- One-fourth tablespoon of wheat flour
As a garnish
Two teaspoons of finely chopped coriander leaves
Step 1: Cook the chickpeas under pressure.
Soak the chickpeas in water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight to make the chole. After that, place a pressure cooker on high heat and add the soaked chickpeas, one tea bag (or two or three tea leaves) and salt to taste. Cover with a cloth. Give the chickpeas 15 to 20 minutes to cook. (Note: The gravy will turn from dark brown to black due to the tea leaves or the tea bag.)
Step 2: Add the onion and cook it.
In the meantime, heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Sliced onion and cumin seeds should be added to the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion paste after the onion has been sautéed until golden brown. Add the tomato puree after the ingredients have been sautéed for a few seconds to eliminate the raw garlic smell.
Step 3: Cook the chole after adding the spices.
Add the chana masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder after the oil has been separated. After two more minutes of cooking the tomato-onion mixture, add the cooked chole and a small amount of water. Mix the masala thoroughly with the chickpeas or chole. After checking the salt, give it a few minutes to simmer. The chola is finished! Add chopped onion and coriander leaves as garnish.
Step 4: Get the dough ready.
In a dough kneading plate, mix together wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour (maida) to make the bhaturas. Next, season it with salt and oil. Stir thoroughly. Knead the dough thoroughly after adding the yoghurt to the flour mixture. The dough can be kneaded with a little water added. When finished, let the dough rise by covering it with a kitchen towel.
Step 5: Prepare and serve the bhatura.
Now, place a kadhai over a high heat while you roll out equal amounts of dough into large puris (bhatura). Carefully add these bhaturas to the oil and deep-fry them once it is sufficiently hot. Continue with the remaining dough. Then serve the hot Chola bhatura on a dish!
Tips
- You can add some ghee to the bhatura to make it softer; this will make it more appetising.
- To give the chole a spicy-tangy flavour, you can add some amchur powder.
- You can dry roast the spices before adding them to the meal to make it more appetising.
- To give the Bhature a good texture, add a little soda. Make sure the oil is really hot so that the Bhature will puff up nicely.
