Chole Bhatureਛੋਲੇ ਭਟੂਰੇ
Video: Hebbars Kitchen (YouTube)
Chole bhature is Sunday morning at its best across the dhabas and homes of Punjab — a deeply spiced, almost black-brown chickpea curry paired with pillowy, ballooned fried bread that shatters at the first bite. The dark colour of the chole comes not from food dye but from dried amla and black cardamom, which brew with the chickpeas like a slow stain, imparting a gentle tartness alongside anardana. The bhature is a yeasted bread only in spirit — baking soda and yogurt give it the same airy lift without the wait.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- ▪Dried chickpeas (kabuli chana / ਕਾਬਲੀ ਛੋਲੇ)1.5 cups, soaked overnight
- ▪Onion (pyaz / ਪਿਆਜ਼), finely chopped2 large
- ▪Tomato, pureed (tamatar / ਟਮਾਟਰ)2 medium
- ▪Ginger-garlic paste (adrak-lehsun)2 tbsp
- ▪Chole masala (ਛੋਲੇ ਮਸਾਲਾ — MDH or Everest)2 tbsp
- ▪Anardana, coarsely crushed (dried pomegranate seeds / ਅਨਾਰਦਾਨਾ)1 tsp
- ▪Black cardamom (badi elaichi / ਵੱਡੀ ਇਲਾਇਚੀ)2 pods
- ▪Dried amla (Indian gooseberry) or 1 tsp amla powder1 piece
- ▪Oil (tel / ਤੇਲ)3 tbsp
- ▪All-purpose flour (maida / ਮੈਦਾ)2 cups
- ▪Semolina (sooji / ਸੂਜੀ)2 tbsp
- ▪Thick yogurt (dahi / ਦਹੀਂ)4 tbsp
- ▪Baking soda (ਖਾਣੇ ਵਾਲਾ ਸੋਡਾ)1/4 tsp
- ▪Salt (namak / ਨਮਕ)to taste
- ▪Oil for deep fryingas needed
- ▪Sugar (cheeni / ਚੀਨੀ)1/2 tsp (for bhature dough)
- Dried amla is the secret to authentic dark chole colour — find it at Indian grocers as whole dried amla or amla powder. A substitute is 1 tsp of tamarind paste plus a soaked, washed prune (for colour depth), though the flavour will differ slightly.
- Anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) adds a distinct tartness unavailable in fresh pomegranate; look for it at Indian or Middle Eastern grocers, or substitute 1 tsp dried cranberry powder as a passable stand-in.
- Canned chickpeas work for the chole in a pinch (skip the pressure cooking, add directly in step 3) — the dish is still very good, though the homemade-cooked texture is noticeably better.
Method
- 1Drain soaked chickpeas and pressure cook with 3 cups water, the black cardamom pods, and a piece of dried amla (or amla powder) for 4–5 whistles until completely tender but not mushy. The amla and black cardamom are what turn the chole dark and aromatic — do not skip them.
- 2Chole masala: Heat oil in a heavy pot. Fry onions over medium heat for 15–18 minutes until deeply golden-brown, stirring often — this long caramelisation is the flavour base. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry 3 minutes.
- 3Add tomato puree and cook until the oil separates, about 8 minutes. Stir in chole masala and anardana; fry 2 minutes.
- 4Add cooked chickpeas with half their cooking liquid (discard the amla and cardamom pods). Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, mashing some chickpeas against the pot wall to naturally thicken the gravy. Season with salt.
- 5Bhature dough: Combine flour, sooji, yogurt, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Add water a little at a time (about 1/2 cup total) and knead to a soft, smooth dough. Rub with a little oil, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
- 6Divide dough into 8 equal balls. Roll each into an oval about 5mm thick — not too thin or they will not balloon.
- 7Heat oil in a deep pan to 180°C (350°F). Slide in one bhatura; press gently with a slotted spoon to encourage it to balloon. Fry for 1–2 minutes each side until puffed and golden. Serve immediately alongside the chole with raw onion, pickle, and a wedge of lemon.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.