Servings
Font
Back
Chole Bhatura
4.9 from 138 votes

Chole Bhatura

Chole Bhatura is a classic Indian meal combining spicy chickpea curry (chole) with deep-fried fluffy bread (bhatura). The bhatura dough is enriched with curds and spices, rested for softness, then rolled thick at edges for puffing. The chole is prepared with soaked chickpeas pressure-cooked with tea bags for color and a complex spice blend, simmered with aromatics and dry spices for a rich, hearty curry.

Prep Time
9 hrs
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
9 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

FOR BHATURA:
  • 2 cup maida flour
  • 2 tbsp rava semolina (fine)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1/4 cup curds
  • water for kneading
  • neutral cooking oil for frying, generic cooking oil
FOR PRESSURE COOKING CHOLE:
  • 1 cup Chana chickpea (soaked overnight)
  • 2 tea bags
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cup water
FOR CHHOLE PREPARATION:
  • 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 2 cardamom pod
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin aka jeera
  • 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp aamchur
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp Coriander finely chopped

Instructions

How to Make Bhatura:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups maida, 2 tbsp rava, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, and 2 tbsp oil.
  2. Add ¼ cup curd (30g) and mix well, making sure everything is well combined.
  3. Slowly add water as required and knead the dough until it is smooth and soft. Ensure you don't over-knead the dough as this would make the bhatura chewy. 
  4. Grease the dough with oil, cover, and rest for 2 hours.
  5. Then knead the dough lightly.
  6. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and set them aside.
  7. Roll them so they are slightly thick around the edges and thin at the centre (this ensures they puff in the middle when deep fried), applying oil to prevent them from sticking.
  8. Drop the rolled dough into the hot oil, heated to 350° F/ 175°F.
  9. Press until the bhatura puffs up and baste with hot oil to allow it to puff up fully.
  10. Flip over and fry until golden brown.
  11. Finally, drain the bhatura on paper towels.
How to Make Chole for Bhatura:
  1. Soak 1 cup chana (170 g) in twice its volume in water for 8 hours, then put in a pressure cooker.
  2. Add 2 tea bags, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and 3 cups (700 ml) water. If you do not have tea bags, make up some tea and add it to the cooker, this is done to replace the dark color from dried amlas or sour gooseberries which, when sundried, turn black.
  3. Cover and pressure cook for 5 whistles.
  4. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and discard the tea bags. Set the channa aside.
  5. In a large kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil, 1 bay leaf, 1 black cardamom, 2 pod cardamom, 1-inch cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, and ½ tsp Kasuri methi. Sauté on low heat until the spices release their essential oils.
  6. Now add 1 onion and 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and sauté until the onion turns golden brown.
  7. Add ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp garam masala, 1 tsp amchur or dry mango powder, and ¼ tsp salt.
  8. Sauté on a low flame ensuring the spices don't burn.
  9. Prepare a tomato purée by blending 2½ ripened tomatoes in a blender without any extra water. Deseed the tomatoes for a smoother texture.
  10. Add 1½ cup (400g) tomato purée and cook covered on low heat until the oil splits and raises to the top of the curry. Now add the boiled chole and mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding water if required. If the curry is too thin, remove some of the cooked channa, mash it or blend it in a food processor and then blend it into the curry.
  11. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chole has absorbed all the flavors.
  12. To prepare the tempering, heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan, add 2 dry red chilis, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp chili powder, and ¼ tsp garam masala, allowing the masalas to bloom in the ghee.
  13. Sauté on a low flame, without burning the spices.
  14. Pour the tempering over the chole masala, add 2 tbsp coriander, and mix well.
  15. Finally, serve the chole with the bhatura and enjoy with some sliced red onions.

Notes