Chole Bhatura (spicy chickpeas and fried bread)

threekitchenspodca
Oct 14
4 min read

Hungry for more? This recipes was featured in a podcast episode!

The combination of spiced chickpeas and puffy, deep-fried bread makes chole

bhatura a cherished and very popular Punjabi dish. This recipe was kindly shared with us by guest Renu Bhardwaj, from her lovely book, Celebrate Diwali: Recipes, Activities, and Crafts for the Entire Family

Prep Time: approx 20 min for chole; 30 mins plus 2-3 hrs for bhatura dough to rest

Cook time: approx 30 min for chole; approx 45 mins to fry the bread

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

FOR THE CHOLE

2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas,
drained
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 black tea bag, or 2 tablespoons
loose tea tied in a muslin cloth (I use an everyday tea such as Bigelow or Twinings)
1 cinnamon stick
2 or 3 whole cloves
1 star anise
2 black cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons canola oil or other
cooking oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into very fine matchsticks, plus a little extra for garnish
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)
1 teaspoon anardana (pomegranate powder)
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons tomato purée
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon chana masala (optional but highly recommended if you have some)
1 to 2 green chiles, sliced (adjust the amount according to your taste), plus an extra one for garnish
sea salt
small handful cilantro, finely chopped, for garnish

FOR THE BHATURA

1¼ cups self-rising flour (1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder)
2 cups semolina
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for deep-frying
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup warm water, plus a little extra as needed

Directions

Start by making the chole. Add the drained chickpeas, garlic, tea bag, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom, and bay leaf to a medium saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover generously. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to allow the flavors to infuse.
Heat the oil in another pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds start to crackle, add the ginger and fry for a minute.
Add the onion and sauté until golden brown. Now add the amchur, anardana, and turmeric and cook for 2 more minutes.
Next, add the tomato purée and mix everything well. Cook for 5 minutes or until the raw smell of tomatoes is gone, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking
to the pan. Now add the ground coriander, chana masala, chiles, and salt to taste. Mix everything well again and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until you can see the sauce coming together.
Remove the tea bag, whole spices, and bay leaf from the cooked chickpeas, pour the spicy sauce into the pan, and mix well until combined. At this point, check for
consistency—the sauce should not be dry, so add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water if it needs a little more liquid. Cook over low heat for 7 to 8 minutes, then turn off the heat and set it aside while you make the bhatura.
To make the bhatura, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the semolina, and mix well to combine. You can either do this by hand or in your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Add the oil, baking powder, salt, and sugar and mix well before adding the yogurt and mixing again. Slowly add the warm water, a little at a time, and knead into a firm, wet
dough. It should come together so that it is not too sticky and forms a ball.
Once the dough is ready, apply a little oil to it, then cover the bowl with a tea towel and set it aside for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place for the dough to rise.
After resting, punch down the dough and transfer it to a work surface. Put some vegetable oil into a small bowl next to you. Cover your fingers in oil and spread this over the surface of the dough, then divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal portions.
Lightly oil a rolling pin, then roll each piece of dough out into an oval shape no more than ½-inch thick. Do the same with each of the dough balls.
Pour vegetable oil into a large, deep wok, saucepan, or karahi until it is three quarters full. Heat the oil on high heat until it reaches 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test this by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil; it should brown and rise to the top in a few seconds.
Once the oil is hot, gently slide a bhatura into the oil using a slotted spoon. Press the center lightly with the spoon; this will help the bhatura to puff up. Once it forms a bubble, flip it over onto the other side and cook, continuing to turn it, until pale golden brown. Remove the fried bhatura using the slotted spoon and transfer it to paper towels to drain. Once you have made the first, the rest will cook faster, so
turn the heat down to medium and repeat.
When all the bhatura have been fried, reheat the chole gently and season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and the extra ginger matchsticks or a
chile for garnish.

Zhuzh it up!

Renu tells us in the episode that if you can't get all the spices for the chole, you can leave something out or substitute something you like. Make it your own!

This amazing recipe was written by Renu Bhardwaj. Find it in her book: Celebrate Diwali: Recipes, Activities, and Crafts for the Entire Family.