The easiest, tastiest chole bhature recipe! A classic North Indian combo where spicy, tangy chickpea curry topped with tangy potatoes served with puffy, soft, and fluffy bhature. This recipe is a Delhi street-style chole bhature recipe.
1cupDried white chickpeas (Chole or kabuli chana or safed chana)
1tablespoonIndian teaor 2 tea bags
3Black peppercorns
2Cloves
1inchCinnamon stick
2Green cardamoms
1Black cardamom
¾teaspoonSalt
⅛teaspoonBaking soda
2 ½cupsWaterfor pressure cooking
2tablespoonsChana masala powderPrepared from above recipe
2teaspoonsRed chili powder
¼teaspoonHing (Asafoetida)
2-3Green chiliesslit
1tablespoonGingerjulienned
4tablespoonsGhee (clarified butter)
For Khatte Aloo:
1medium PotatoesBoiled, peeled and cubed
2-3tablespoonsOilfor shallow frying
2teaspoonChana masala powderprepared above
1teaspoonRed chili powder
1teaspoonCoriander powder
½teaspoonAmchur powder (dried mango powder)
¼teaspoonSalt
For Bhatura:
½ cup + 2tablespoonsWarm water
1packet Active dry yeast(2 ¼ teaspoon)
1tablespoonSugar
¾teaspoonSalt
¼cupPlain yogurtat room temperature
2tablespoonsGhee (clarified butter)
2cupsAll purpose flour (Maida)
¼cupSooji (rava or semolina)
Oilfor Deep frying
Instructions
Making Chana Masala Powder:
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.
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.
Similarly, dry roast anardana until crisp and no moisture left.
Next dry roast kasoori methi.
Dry roast the black salt for 1 minute to remove any moisture in it.
Let the roasted spices cool down completely.
Make a fine powder using a spice/coffee grinder in batches.
Add amchur, turmeric powder, and ground ginger. Break all the lumps of amchur and whisk all the spices together until well combined.
Making Chole:
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.
Soak: Add enough water (3 inches above the beans) to the bowl. Let them soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and discard the soaking water.
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.
Tie it two times by gathering opposite edges and make a potli.
Take drained chickpeas in a pressure cooker (instant pot), add fresh water, and prepared potli.
Boil chickpeas: Cover it with a lid and cook. Stovetop pressure cooker: 2 whistles on HIGH, then 15 minutes on LOW. Instant pot: Manual 15 minutes
Let the pressure go down by itself and then open the lid. Remove and discard the potli.
Drain the chickpeas and save the cooking water to make gravy later.
Make curry: Add boiled, drained chickpeas in a cast iron pan or kadai. Add red chili powder, hing, and chole masala powder. Mix everything well.
Sprinkle julienned ginger and slit green chilies.
In a small tadka pan, heat the ghee on medium heat. Once hot pour all over the chickpeas.
Put the cast iron pan on the stove and turn it on medium heat. Add boiled chickpea water.
Let it simmer on low for 15 minutes. Slow simmer will make them flavorful.
In between stir and make sure that it has enough liquid to make gravy. Also, mash a few chickpeas to thicken the gravy.
Taste and adjust the salt. If all the water dries out then add more water and continue simmering.
Making Khatte Aloo:
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.
Remove it to a bowl.
Add salt, chole masala powder, amchur, coriander powder, and red chili powder. Toss to coat the potato cubes with spices.
Making Bhature:
Make Dough: 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.
Add yogurt and ghee. Stir once.
Add all purpose flour and semolina. Attach the dough hook attachment.
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.
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.
Let the dough rest for around 1 ½ - 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
Before you start rolling, heat the oil in a kadai or deep-wide pan for deep frying on medium-high heat.
Roll: 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.
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).
Roll into a 6-7 inch oval shaped bhatura.
Fry: 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.
Carefully slide the rolled bhatura into the hot oil. Right away start pressing and moving the bhatura in a circular motion in the oil. And it will puff up like a balloon.
Flip the bhatura and fry the bottom side as well until golden brown and crisp.
Drain the excess oil and transfer the fried bhatura to a paper-towel lined plate. Similarly, roll and fry the rest of the bhature.
Notes
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.
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.