Chole Bhature

Bhatura is a fluffy deep-fried leavened bread. It is often eaten with Chickpea curry, Chole or Chana, making the traditional dish Chole Bhature. Chole Bhature is an all time favourite Punjabi dish relished by people all over India.

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients for Bhatura

3 cup Maida (All purpose flour)
¼ cup malai (cream)
¾ cup Dahi (yogurt)
¼ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Salt or to taste
Water as required to make the dough

Ingredients for Chole

2 cups kabuli channa (canned chick peas can be used),
2 big onions cubed
1 tsp ginger chopped
1 tsp garlic peeled
2 medium tomatoes diced
1 tsp Anardana powder (pomegranate Seeds) or 2 tsp tamarind pulp
2 tsp Chole Masala
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp Salt
1 medium tomato cubed

Tempering for Chole
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 green chilly slit in two, length wise
1 tsp ginger juliens

Garnishing for Chole
1 tsp Coriander chopped
A few Lemon wedges
Sliced onion

Direction for chole bhature

For Bhature

Sieve maida (all purpose flour), salt, baking powder.
Add malai (cream) and curd to it.
Mix all the ingredients well with hand and knead to make a dough with lukewarm water if required. The dough should not be too soft.
Cover the dough and keep in a warm place for it to rise for at least six hours or overnight.
Heat oil in a pan to fry bhaturas.
Make small equal balls approximately 15 in number.
With little oil on the rolling pin roll into round or elongated shape.
Bhatura is a little thick as compared to a puri. Fry the bhatura by lightly pressing it with the ladle so that it rises. Fry on both the sides to a golden brown.
Drain on a kitchen towel.
Prepare all bhaturas in the same manner.

For Chole

Soak chole (chickpeas) in plenty of water for 6 hours.
Boil in a pressure cooker with salt. ( If using canned chick peas then soaking and boiling not required)
Grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a pure.
Grind the tomatoes separately.
Heat the oil in a pot.
Add the onion pure to it. Stir on low flame and cook till light brown.
Now add the pomegranate powder and cook for a minute.
Add the tomato pure to it. Stir and cook till oil starts separating.
Now add the chole masala. Cook for a minute and then add the chole to it. Save some of the water of the boiled chole which can be added later if required.
If using tamarind pulp then add to the chole.
Let it simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
Now add the cubed tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. The tomatoes should not be mushy.