Punjabi Chhole - Bhature

These chhole and bhature recipes are courtesy Sajeev Kapoor's Khana Kazaana, the most authentic, by far.  The recipe and ingredients for chhole have been slightly modified.

Bhature:

The ingredients listed makes around 5-6 medium sized bhature.

All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 1/2 cups

Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Soda bicarbonate - a pinch

Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar - 1  - 1 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 1-2 tablespoons + for deep frying

Salt - to taste

Water - as much needed to make a soft, pliable dough

• Sieve the flour, soda bicarbonate, and baking powder together, mix well.
• Add the sugar and salt in yogurt, mix well
• Add this yogurt to the flour, mix.
• Adding water, little by little, and knead a soft, pliable dough.  Add about 1 tablespoon of oil at this time and continue kneading. Key is to knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, and until it becomes smooth.  Kneading the dough well is of utmost importance for making good bhature.
• Cover and rest the dough for at least an hour, or more.
• Make dough balls and apply a bit of oil.  Cover and rest the dough balls for another 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a frying pan.  The bigger the frying pan, the better.
• Roll the bhature wilth a rolling pin, about 4-5 inches, to make a medium sized bhatura.
• Fry the bhature in hot oil.  Keeping the temperature of oil very hot is necessary to make good bhature.

Punjabi Chhole:

Chickpeas - 2 cups

Onion - 2, medium sized

Tomatoes - 4, medium sized 

Aamchur powder (dried mango powder) - 1 1/2 teaspoon

Tamarind paste - 1 1/2 teaspoon (alternatively can use dried mangoes or lemon juice)

Ginger - 2 inch piece (for paste + for tempering at the end)

Garlic - 4-5 pods

Tea bags - 2-3 (alternatively can use 2 tablespoons of loose black tea leaves used for making tea)

Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tablespoons

Oil - 1 1/2 tablespoon

Punjabi chhole masala - 1 tablespoon, or to taste

Red chili powder - 1 1/2 teaspoons, or to taste

Salt - to taste

Water - 2-4 cups

Whole garam masala:

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece, Star anise - 2, bay leaves - 2-3, Green cardamom - 4-5 pods, Black cardamom (big cardamom) - 1, Dried pomegranate seeds (optional) = 1 tablespoon - ground.

• Soak chickpeas in water, overnight, or at least for 4-6 hours.
• When the soaked chick peas are ready to be cooked, boil them in a pressure cooker, adding aamchur powder and salt.  If using tea bags, add those at this point.  After boiling, save the excess water, which can be used for the gravy.
• Puree the onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger - each separately.
• Heat oil, add whole garam masala.  After a minute or so, add the pureed onion.  Let it cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Add ginger and garlic paste, cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• While this gravy is cooking, heat 2-3 cups of water on the side, add tea leaves (if the bags not used while boiling chickpeas).  Bring it to a boil, simmer for another 3-4 minutes.  Leave it aside.  Stain it when ready to use.
• Add tomatoes to the gravy being cooked.  Add salt, red chili powder, Punjabi chhole masala (or chhole masala), and strained tea concoction.
• Continue cooking for next 10 minutes.   Can add water, if need be.
• Add the boiled chickpeas, tamarind paste.  Continue cooking for next 10-15 minutes, and until the desired consistency has been achieved.
• Julienne green chillies and 1/2 inch piece of ginger.  Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee.  Add the green chillies and ginger, temper the chhole.

Enjoy!