Enjoying hot Chole Bhature at home
A favourite dish in Northern India, and also popular as street food in Delhi, especially in the winter season, it is liked in all corners of the country. It may be prepared with slight changes here and there, but what comes out at the end, hot steaming poories and the tangy tasty Chole, which can be made like gravy to almost dry but hot and spicy type, based on likes and preferences in pockets or even a region.
Here a special Mumbai style version which has its own local flavor but not a stranger to its North Indian cousin is given by a leading expert and described simply for you.
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What you will need:
For the chole
kabuli chana (white chick peas), soaked overnight – 1 cup
tea leaves , tied in a muslin cloth (optional) – 1 tea bag or tsp
cumin seeds (jeera) – ½ tsp
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onion, finely chopped – 1
ginger, grated – 12 mm – ½ ” piece
cloves of garlic, grated – 2
chole masala (available at almost any grocery store) - 2 tsp
chilli powder - 2 tsp
dried mango powder (amchur) - 2 tsp
turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
coriander (dhania) powder - 1 tbsp
cumin seeds (jeera) powder - 1 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp
salt to taste
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Making the Chole:
- Put the Kabuli Chana or white chick peas in a cooker and also place the tea bag inside. Pour water and pressure cook until they are soft (3 whistles should do). drain the water, discard the tea bag and keep the chana aside.
- Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the onion, ginger and garlic and sauté till the onion is golden brown.
- Now add chole masala, chilli powder, amchur, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and salt. Sauté for another minute.
- Add the Kabuli chana to the mix and 1 cup of water and mix well.
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The Chole is cooked. Keep aside.
What you will need For the Bhature
Plain flour (maida) – ½ cup
Potatoes, boiled and grated – ½ cup
Oil - 1 ½ tsp
salt to taste
some oil for deep-frying
Making the Bhature:
- Combine the flour, potato, 1½ teaspoons of oil and salt and knead into a firm dough without using any water.
- Knead the dough very well till it is smooth
- Cover with a wet muslin cloth and rest the dough for 10 minutes
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out into circles of 5" diameter.
- Deep fry in hot oil till the bhaturas puff up and both sides are golden brown. You could while frying the bhature, press the centre lightly with a frying spoon so as to help it puff up.
Serve hot with the chole, 1 sliced onion and 4 lemon wedges. You can have Mango or other varieties of pickle as accompaniment. Relish the hot, spicy, tasty and filling Chole Bhature to your heart’s content.
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Friendly tips
- Patient people simmer chick peas and spices for hours to achieve a good tasty blend. Elaborate process but definitely relished by the Mumbai populace. If you can try it out.
- The tea leaves impart a dark brown color preferred by many eaters, which otherwise could be got by simmering in an iron pot and long.
- Traditionally Bhaturas are made using soda, curds as softeners and leaving them with the dough initially before rolling out and deep frying. The mashed potatoes are a good substitute to provide the same effect – to get crisp but spongy bhaturas. Bhaturas made in the above method do not turn rubbery and chewy even when they get cold.
