Sunday Night Delight - Chole Bhature

I was visiting my aunt in the UK this summer and both of us were fed up with eating at restaurants. Since my aunt is a very nice cook, I told her to cook something desi for the dinner. Upon brainstorming and shortlisting options, we finally decided to make Chole Bhature.

This dish, Chole Bhature also known as Chana Bhatura, is one of the famous Punjabi dishes liked and enjoyed all over Pakistan and India. Chole is a spicy yet tangy chickpea curry while Bhatura is a very soft and fluffy fried puri. It is definitely a mouth-watering and absolutely delicious dish. This entire meal can be served at any time of the day, people mostly consume it for breakfast. You can eat Chole with Naan, Aloo Paratha too but for me, Chole with Bhature is the best. So, here’s the recipe we followed while making this dish.

Ingredients:

For the Chole:

• 2 cups chickpeas
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 cups tomato puree
• salt, to taste
• 2 cups water

For the Bhature:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• oil, for frying

Instructions:

1. First, soak the chickpeas in water for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
2. Now, drain the chickpeas and put them into a large pot. Over high heat, add 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Lessen the heat to low and simmer for 1 ½ hour or until the chickpeas are soft and juicy.
3. In one more pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Put in the cumin seeds and wait for a few seconds until they are roasted
4. Now, add the onions and cook until perfect golden color appears.
5. Put in the ginger garlic paste and further cook it for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Next, add the cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Mix it all and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Put in the salt and tomato puree and stir until everything has perfectly combined.
8. Lower the heat, add the cooked chickpeas along with 2 cups of water to the pan, and let it boil for 10 minutes.
9. To make the dough add flour, water, and salt and mix it until the doughy consistency forms.
10. Make small, separate equal sections of the dough. Now, you need to make small balls in order to make Bhature.
11. Roll out the balls until it forms a circle and now, they are ready to be fried.
12. Take a large pan and add in enough oil to shallow fry the Bhature. Turn the heat to medium.
13. Next, take your rolled dough and gently add it to the oil. Keep frying it until both sides have turned golden brown. Do the same for all the remaining Bhature.
14. Serve the Chole with the Bhature and garnish with chopped onions for a great presentation. Enjoy your meal with your favourite TV show.

I hope you find this recipe useful. Do try and make a delicious dinner for yourselves or enjoy it with your loved ones.