Chole Bhature

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe Courtesy: Mamma

Living in a different country away from home, the one thing, which makes me feel close to my roots and culture, is food. I am lucky that I have been able to learn some tasty and authentic Indian recipes from my mom. Even today I continue to ask her for new recipes and tips and tricks. There is so much to love in Indian cuisine and I am glad that I at least know how to make my favorites. I am going to share with you the recipe for Chole Bhature, which is my all- time favorite Indian vegetarian food.

I don’t even remember the first time I had Chole Bhature. May be in a restaurant or at home or may be from a street vendor. India is famous for its variety of street food. Idli, Vada, Dosa, Rajma-Rice, Chole-Bhature, Chat, Phulki, Pakore, Samosas and the list goes on. Every city has a huge number of locally owned small street side restaurants, which serve hot, spicy food with bold flavors at reasonable prices. Indian cuisine is fascinating for vegetarians. It offers a great variety and most of them are easy to prepare at home. Indian cuisine is also known for its generous use of flavorful spices and herbs, which are also known for their health benefits. What I really like is, once you buy the basic ingredients and spices, they can be used in different combinations for a number of recipes. Hence, it is economical as well.

As a Bengali (native from the state of Bengal) I have an inherent love for non-vegetarian food. However, it would not be wrong to say that most of my comfort foods are vegetarian. I love dal (lentils) and vegetables (torkari). I love Chole Bhature because the Bhatura is crunchy and pairs perfectly with the spicy Chole. The leftover Chole can be eaten with Pulao or Roti. It’s a dish, which can be eaten for a heavy breakfast, lunch or dinner. I think it’s one of the most popular Punjabi recipes and every North Indian loves to eat it. While the Bhaturas are high on calories, the Chole can be prepared in a lighter way by adding less oil or ghee. If you don’t have all the spices just go with the few basic ones and it should still taste good.

The Chole is prepared using white chickpeas and spices. The gravy consists of onions, tomato, ginger and garlic and can be customized as per your taste buds - spicy or tangy. The consistency can be curried, semi dry or dry. The Bhatura is prepared by kneading all-purpose flour with yogurt. It is then left for a couple of hours to allow fermentation. This helps with the crispiness and rising when it is deep-fried. For people like me who decide an hour before lunch that they want to have Chole Bhature baking powder comes to the rescue. It helps speed up the fermentation process so when the Bhaturas are fried they rise like a pillow, crisp and soft. I always use a combination of whole-wheat flour and all- purpose flour to make the Bhaturas a bit healthier. Also I never use oil to roll the Bhaturas, instead I use dry flour.

There was a dhaba (street vendor with a stall) near my office where my friends and I used to eat frequently. It used to be our adda (place to meet and talk freely). Ah! Nothing multiplies the joy of gossiping with friends but good food. Although I have had Chole-Bhature at uncountable number of places, there is something special in Mom’s kitchen. Probably the secret ingredient is the love and warmth and her special green chutney made with cilantro or mint and tamarind. Also, she plans the meal in advance, which allows time for the natural fermentation process. She leaves the kneaded dough for about 6 hours and doesn’t add any oil while rolling it. She also adds fennel seeds in it, which doubles the taste. Oh, the smell of Bhaturas!. My mom loves to serve food straight from the stovetop. We would sit at the table right outside the kitchen and she would serve hot fluffy Bhaturas on our plate right out of the fryer. Believe me a hot steaming plate of Chole Bhature is an absolute divine treat and is worth all the extra calories.

Although Chole Bhature can be enjoyed in every season, I think the best time is when the weather is a bit cooler. Hence in India we mostly eat it during monsoons and winters. This is a heavy dish, deep fried and spicy; enjoy it with a cool glass of lassi or unsweet tea.

“Love and food is all about SPICE” 

Ingredients for Bhature:

• All Purpose Flour - ½ cup 
• Whole Wheat Flour - ½ cup 
• Semolina - 1 tablespoon 
• Yogurt - 3 tablespoons 
• Baking Powder - ½ teaspoon 
• Red Chili Powder - ¼ teaspoon 
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon 
• Fennel seeds - ¼ teaspoon 
• Warm water - ¼ cup 

Ingredients for Chole: 

• Chick Peas - 1 can or 1 and ½ cup 
• Baking soda - a pinch 
• Salt – ½ teaspoon 
• Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon 
• Garlic - 3-4 big cloves 
• Ginger - 1 inch 
• Green and Red Chili - 3-4 
• Tomato - 1 medium (chopped) or 4-5 tablespoons of Tomato sauce 
• Oil - 2-3 tablespoons 
• Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon 
• Bay Leaf - 2-3 
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick 
• Cloves - 4-5 
• Green Cardamoms - 3-4 
• Black Cardamom - 1 
• Onion - 1 big (finely grated) 
• Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Chole Masala – 1 teaspoon 
• Garam Masala – ½ teaspoon 
• Cilantro - a handful 

Directions for kneading the dough for the Bhature:

• Take a big bowl. 
• Combine the ingredients for the dough (All Purpose Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Semolina, Yogurt, Baking Powder, Red Chili Powder, Salt and Fennel seeds). 
• Wash your hands before kneading. Kneading requires working the dough between your bare hands, so wash them and dry them well before you begin. Remove your rings and other jewelry that might get caught in the dough, and roll up your sleeves so they don't get sticky. Wear an apron. 
• Gather the dough into a pile. When you first plunge your hands into the dough, it will be sticky and difficult to gather. Go ahead and work the dough with your hands, forming it into a ball, pressing it down and reshaping it. 
• Add warm water (using a spoonful or two at a time) if the dough is not coming together. 
• Continue doing so until it becomes possible to shape it into a ball without the dough falling apart. 
• If the dough doesn't seem to be losing its stickiness, sprinkle more flour over the top and work it into the dough. You can lightly dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking too much. 
• Press the heels of your hands into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Fold the dough in half and rock forward on the heels of your hands to press it flat. Turn the dough slightly, fold it in half, and rock into it again with the heels of your hands. The kneading process should be rhythmic and steady. Don't work too slowly; handle each part of the dough quickly, never letting it rest for too long between turns. 
• The dough starts out sticky and lumpy, but after kneading it should be shiny and smooth. It should be tacky to the touch with an elastic feel. If any lumps or sticky parts remain, continue kneading the dough. 
• Test if the dough holds its shape. Shape the dough into a ball and let it drop to your work surface. If the dough is ready, it should hold its shape. 
• Let the dough rise in a warm place for a few hours after the kneading is finished. 

Prepping Directions: 

• Rinse and soak the Chickpeas in enough water overnight. If you are using canned Chickpeas this step is not required. 
• In a pressure cooker add the Chickpeas along with the Baking soda, Salt and Turmeric. Add 2-3 cups of water. 
• Pressure-cook the Chickpeas for 2-3 whistles on a medium heat. Allow the cooker to cool down completely and then open the lid. 
• The Chickpeas should be cooked well. Test it by mashing a Chickpea with a spoon. 

Directions for making the Gravy:

• Blend together the Garlic, Ginger, Green and Red Chili and the Tomato. 
• Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom. If it flows smoothly "like water" and quickly coats the bottom of the pan, it means the oil is hot enough to start cooking. 
• Tamper the oil with Cumin seeds, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Cloves, Green Cardamoms and Black Cardamom. 
• Add the Onions and sauté till the onions turn translucent or light brown. 
• Add the paste (Garlic, Ginger, Green and Red Chili and the Tomato) and sauté till their raw aroma goes away. The oil will start to leave the sides of this mixture. 
• Add the Chickpeas and fry for about 3-4 minutes to allow the Chickpeas to mix evenly with the spices mixture. 
• Add the stock in which the Chickpeas were boiled. You can also use water. 
• Taste to check the Salt. 
• Add the Chole Masala and reduce the heat to low. Cover and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes. The gravy will thicken and reduce. 
• Add Garam Masala and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. 
• Add the Cilantro and cook for another 3 minutes. Don’t cover the pan at this stage. 
• Serve with Bhatura, puri, roti, steamed rice or jeera rice along with Green Chilies and Onions dipped in Red Wine Vinegar. 

Directions for frying the Bhature:

• Divide the dough into 5-6 equal portions. 
• Make balls and roll out into medium shaped circles using a rolling pin and board. 
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan, wok or kadai. 
• Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a bit of the batter into the oil. If there isn’t any bubbling, then the oil isn’t ready. If it’s furiously bubbling and there is smoke, that’s too hot. If the temperature is perfect the batter ball will take a dip and immediately float to the surface of the oil and change color. 
• At this perfect temperature, add one Bhatura at a time and fry gently pressing down with the frying spoon or slotted spoon in a circular motion. 
• Turn over when puffed up and fry the Bhatura till golden brown. 
• Transfer the fried Bhatura on a paper towel or napkin to absorb the excess oil. 
• Serve the Bhatura hot with Chole, Green Chilies and Onions dipped in Red Wine Vinegar.

Recommended Reading: 

• Alu Tamatar Sabji (Curried Potatoes with Tomatoes) 
• Garam Masala 
• Indian Salad 
• Amritsari Chole (Delicious Chick Pea gravy with Fresh Cheese) 
• Loknath wali Meethi Lassi (Sweet Yogurt based drink)
• Bhature (Deep Fried Puffed Bread)
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• Chana Masala/ Chole Masala
• Saag Chole (Curried Spinach and Chickpeas)