Chole bhature is the big Punjabi breakfast that colonised Delhi — a plate of dark, spiced chickpeas next to a balloon of deep-fried bread, eaten standing at a counter with sliced onion, green chilli and a glass of lassi. The chole are simmered long with a tea bag or a knot of dried amla tucked in for the near-black colour that sets them apart from an everyday chana, sharpened with amchur and a final ghee tadka of ginger and hing. The bhatura is the show: a soft maida dough slackened with yoghurt and a little semolina, rested until it relaxes, rolled and dropped into hot oil where it puffs into a golden dome. Old Delhi and Paharganj built shrines to it — Sita Ram Diwan Chand among them. This version follows Manali Singh of Cook With Manali, whose Punjabi chole and bhatura together make the plate at home.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas (kabuli chana, soaked overnight)
- 1 black tea bag (or 1 tbsp dried amla, tied in muslin)
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 2 tomatoes (puréed)
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp chana (chole masala)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
- 1 tsp salt (for the chole, or to taste)
- 2 tbsp oil (for the chole)
- 1 tbsp ghee (for the tadka)
- 1 tsp ginger (julienned (for the tadka))
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- coriander (to garnish)
- 2 cups plain (maida flour (for the bhatura))
- 2 tbsp fine semolina (sooji)
- 3 tbsp plain yogurt (for the bhatura)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt (for the bhatura dough)
- 1 tbsp oil (for the dough, plus more for deep-frying)
- warm water or milk (to knead)
METHOD
- Drain the soaked chickpeas and pressure-cook them with the tea bag (or amla muslin), enough water and a little salt until soft; discard the tea bag and reserve the cooking water.
- Make the bhatura dough: mix the flour, semolina, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt, work in the yogurt and oil, then knead with warm water or milk to a soft dough; cover and rest 1–2 hours.
- For the chole, heat the oil and fry the onions until deep golden, then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook off the raw smell.
- Add the tomato purée and cook down until the oil separates.
- Stir in the chana masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli and amchur, then the cooked chickpeas with enough reserved water to make a thick gravy.
- Simmer 15–20 minutes until the chickpeas take on the spices and the gravy darkens, mashing a few against the side to thicken; check the salt.
- Heat the ghee, sizzle the julienned ginger and hing, and pour this tadka over the chole.
- Divide the rested dough into balls, roll each into an oval about 5mm thick, and deep-fry in hot oil, spooning oil over the top until it puffs and turns golden on both sides.
- Drain the bhature and serve straight away with the hot chole, sliced onion, green chilli and pickle.
