Chole Bhature

The easiest, tastiest chole bhature recipe! A classic North Indian combo where spicy, tangy chickpea curry topped with tangy potatoes and served with puffy, soft and fluffy bhature. 

It is a popular North Indian breakfast that you find in many restaurants and street stalls all over India. Today I am sharing a Delhi street-style chole bhature recipe.

❤️ About This Chole Bhature Recipe

Chole = chickpea curry
Bhature = deep-fried leavened bread

Every restaurant, dhaba or street stall vendors (depending on the region) have their version of making chole bhature (especially chickpea curry). So there is not one traditional recipe. Today I’m sharing Delhi style chole bhature recipe where chole is topped with khatte aloo (aka spiced, tangy potatoes).

4 Elements Of Chole Bhature Recipe

Chana masala powder: 

• I prefer to make homemade powder as it gives a fresh, aromatic, and unique flavor. 
• It takes just 10 minutes to make it. I usually make a large batch and keep it for later use. So I don’t have to make it every single time. 
• However, you can use a store-bought pack. 

Chole (chickpea curry): 

• This one is made without onion, garlic, tomato. This doesn’t have the typical chana masala taste that has onion tomato gravy. 
• Chole has a dark, almost black color. This comes from tea (loose or bag) that is added while boiling chickpeas. 
• Plus, chole is cooked in a cast iron kadai (pan) that makes the gravy, even more, darker in color.
• This chole tastes spicy, and tangy (chatpata) with a rich flavor from ghee.

Khatte Aloo (Tangy potatoes):

• Delhi street side vendors serve this khatte aloo with chole bhature plate.
• They usually deep fry the potatoes and toss them in the spice mix.
• Here I have shallow fried the boiled potato cubes instead of deep-frying.
• As the name says, these potatoes taste tangy, salty, and spicy. Though spice level can be adjusted.

Bhature: 

• There are many variations in making a bhatura recipe e.g. with the traditional fermentation method, with yeast, instant version with baking soda or with Eno fruit salt. 
• For this chole bhature recipe, I am making bhatura with yeast. This gives the best results compared to instant methods.
• These bhature are puffed up like a balloon, crispy on the outside, soft, fluffy on the inside, and slightly chewy texture.

👩‍🍳 Element 1: Chana Masala Powder

Here is a pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make homemade chole masala powder. The given quantity below in the recipe card makes a big batch. So save the rest for later use.  

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

1) Dry roast coriander seeds, and cumin seeds in a pan on medium-low heat with stirring constantly until they are golden brown in color and become aromatic. Remove it to a plate.

2) In the same pan add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, green and black cardamoms, mace, a piece of nutmeg, dried red chilies, and bay leaves. Dry roast similarly until aromatic, around 2-3 minutes. Remove it to the same plate.

3) Similarly, dry roast anardana until crisp and no moisture left.

4) Next dry roast kasoori methi.

5) Dry roast the black salt for 1 minute to remove any moisture in it.

6) Let the roasted spices cool down completely.

7) Make a fine powder using a spice/coffee grinder in batches.

8) Add amchur, turmeric powder, and ground ginger.

9) Break all the lumps of amchur and whisk all the spices together until well combined. You can check out detailed storage and tip instructions in chana masala powder recipe post.

👩‍🍳 Element 2: Chole (Chickpea Curry)

Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make chickpea curry for the chole bhature recipe.

• Chickpeas: For this chole bhature recipe, I recommend using dry chickpeas. Soak them overnight and boil them with whole spices and tea. So chickpeas are infused with spices and get a dark color.
• Baking soda: It makes the boiled chickpeas soft and moist from the inside.
• Tea: I always have Indian loose tea in my pantry, so I have used that. You can use black tea bags instead. 
• Whole spices (green and black cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon) are used to flavor the chickpeas.
• Ghee: It adds a nice rich flavor to the curry. You can use oil but sure you’ll miss the flavor. 

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

Soaking Chickpeas:

1) Rinse: Take chickpeas in a bowl, add water to it, and massage the beans with your finger and the water will become cloudy. Discard the water and repeat this process 2-3 times total or until the water is not cloudy anymore.

2) Soak: Add enough water (3 inches above the beans) to the bowl.

3) Let them soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. They will get double (almost triple in size). 

4) Drain and discard the soaking water.

Boil Chickpeas:

1) Make spices-tea potli: Take a square piece of muslin cloth or a cotton clean handkerchief. Add all the whole spices (green and black cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon) and tea.

2) Tie it two times by gathering opposite edges and make a potli.

3) Take drained chickpeas in a pressure cooker (instant pot), add fresh water and prepared a potli.

4) Cover it with a lid and cook. Let the pressure go down by itself and then open the lid.

Stovetop pressure cooker: 2 whistles on HIGH, then 15 minutes on LOW
Instant pot: Manual 15 minutes

5) Remove and discard the the potli.

6) Drain the chickpeas and save the cooking water to make gravy later.

Making Chole For Chole Bhature:

1) Add boiled, drained chickpeas in a cast iron pan or kadai. Add red chili powder, hing, and prepared chole masala powder.

2) Mix everything well.

3) Sprinkle julienned ginger and slit green chilies.

4, 5) In a small tadka pan, heat the ghee on medium heat.

6) Once hot pour all over the chickpeas.

7) Put the cast iron pan on the stove and turn it on medium heat. Add boiled chickpea water.

8) Let it simmer on low for 15 minutes. Slow simmer will make them flavorful.

9) In between stir and make sure that it has enough liquid to make gravy. Also, mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy. 

10) Taste and adjust the salt. If all the water dries out then add more water and continue simmering. 

👩‍🍳 Element 3: Khatte Aloo (Tangy Potatoes)

Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make khatte aloo for chole bhature.

• Potatoes: I recommend using Yukon gold or red skin potato as they hold their shape after boiling. Stay away from Russet or Idaho potatoes.
• Oil: not shown in the pic and is required to shallow fry the potatoes.

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

Boil potatoes: Check out this boil potatoes in instant pot post for details. But in short, cook on manual for 10 minutes for medium-sized potato. Once the potato is cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin. Cut into large cubes.

1. Heat oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Once hot add cubed potatoes and turn them for even browning. And fry until they are light golden brown from all sides.
2. Remove it to a bowl.
3. Add salt, chana masala powder, amchur, coriander powder, and red chili powder.
4. Toss to coat the potato cubes with spices.

👩‍🍳 Element 4: Bhature

Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make the bhatura recipe for chole bhature. Check out this bhatura recipe post for tips and more details.

• Warm water: To bloom the yeast, you must use warm water (100°–110°F). Cold or hot water will kill the yeast and they won’t rise.
• Active dry yeast: This type of yeast must be activated in warm water for the blooming step. If using instant yeast then no need to proof it, just add it to the flour and knead.

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

Making Dough: 

1) In a KitchenAid stand mixer bowl, add warm water, salt, sugar and yeast. Let the yeast bloom for around 10 minutes and it will froth up nicely.

2) Add yogurt and ghee. Stir once.

3) Add all purpose flour and semolina. Attach the dough hook attachment.

4) Start mixing with a low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough comes together. After that keep running the mixer for around 3-5 minutes on medium speed to knead and smooth out the dough.

5) Apply oil around the edges of the bowl and also on the dough. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough proof.

6) Let the dough rest for around 1 ½ – 2 hours or until it doubles in size.

Making Balls & Rolling:

Before you start rolling, heat the oil in a kadai or deep-wide pan for deep frying on medium-high heat. 

1, 2) Deflate the dough and pinch a small lemon size ball to get a crack-free smooth ball. Similarly, prepare all the balls. I get around 12 balls.

3) Apply oil on a rolling board and rolling pin. Also, apply some oil on a dough ball for easier rolling (as this is a too soft dough and it can stick while rolling).

3) Roll into a 6-7 inch oval shaped bhatura.

Frying Bhatura:

Check whether the oil is hot or not: Drop a small tiny piece of dough in the oil and it should come on top within a few seconds. Meaning oil is hot enough to fry. If the dough stays at the bottom of the oil for longer then the oil is not hot enough. 

1) Carefully slide the rolled bhatura into the hot oil.

2,3,4) Right away start pressing and moving the bhatura in a circular motion in the oil. And it will puff up like a balloon.

5) Flip the bhatura and fry the bottom side as well until golden brown and crisp.

6) Drain the excess oil and transfer the fried bhatura to a paper-towel lined plate. Similarly, roll and fry the rest of the bhature.

💭 Expert Tips For Chole Bhature Recipe

• Forgot to soak chickpeas? Try this quick soaking method: take rinsed chickpeas in a pan with lots of water. Let the water come to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the stove, cover the pan with a lid and let it rest for 1 hour. Your soaked chickpeas are ready for making chole bhature.
• A cast iron pan (kadai) is recommended. As you cook chole in the iron pan, they get more darker in color (just like you get from the street vendors).
• The slow simmering of chole for 15-20 minutes is a must to make the gravy flavorful and thick.
• Kneading bhatura dough for 5 minutes in a stand mixer (or 10 minutes if done by hand) is a must to get the best texture.

🥣 Storage Instructions

• Prepared chana/chole masala powder can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 months.
• Chickpea curry (Chole) can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. 
• Khatte aloo can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. But this cannot be frozen.
• Bhatura must be served fresh (the day it is made). 

🍽 Serving Ideas For Chole Bhature

• Chole bhature is served as a breakfast or meal. Because it is a heavy breakfast, you can enjoy it during weekends or festivals. You’ll feel like taking a nap after having this. 
• Serve chole topped with a few pieces of khatte aloo on the plate with a hot/warm fried bhatura. 
• On the side, you can have a pickle, sliced onions (with lemon wedges), and fried green chilies.
• You can have salted lassi or sweet lassi on the side. 
• Apart from serving as a combo chole bhature, you can serve it chickpea curry with paratha, garlic naan, or poori. 

Did you try this chole bhature recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.