Chole bhature or chana bhatura is a popular Punjabi dish and most sought after one too. It is actually a delicious combination of two dishes chole and bhature.
Chole means a spicy chickpea curry and bhature is plural for fried flat bread bhatura. This dish served with some pickle, salad, chopped raw onions and lemon wedges is fondly called chole bhature. Here in this post I am sharing a quick recipe to make both and also have curated various chole recipes I have shared in the blog so far.
For more Punjabi recipes please check sarson ka saag, chana dal, paneer paratha, dum aloo.
The delicious combination of chickpea curry and piping hot fried flatbread is called chole bhature all over the country. It is a delicious, filling and satiating combination often eaten as breakfast in north India.
This dish is equally popular all over the country and served as snack too in some restaurants. This dish is also hugely popular in dhaba or small road side eateries in highways. Each dhaba or restaurant has its own way of making it, so the flavor varies pertaining to that.
Here I am sharing my tried and tested keeper recipes along with tips to make these recipes quickly.
About This Recipe
What Is Chole Bhature?
Chole bhature or chana bhatura is a popular breakfast combo or platter from Punjabi cuisine. A serving of spicy and tangy chickpeas curry along with crispy puffed flatbread makes for this yummy dish. You will also get some finely chopped onions and a simple salad making it a complete meal 🙂
Whenever we eat out, I am always tempted to go for a piping hot plate of chana bhatura. Every restaurant makes it differently and I am the one who enjoys all the flavors as long it is delicious and fresh.
In some restaurants chole or chana masala is spicy while some has more tangy notes or potent flavor from spices. Bhatura also varies in size and texture. At home we make small fluffy bhaturas just like pooris.
This is my mom’s recipe that we have been making at home for years. It is very delicious and has that amazing restaurant like flavors. My mom sometimes makes it with kala chana too.
Why This Recipe Works?
As I have mentioned above this recipe of chole bhature is a keeper recipe that have tried and tested so many times. It is go to recipe for chole when I want to make a quick and filling side dish.
Unlike elaborate recipes of punjabi chole or amritsari chole, this chana masala is a quick and easy recipe made in pressure cooker. You can also use an instant pot. I have used pre made masala powder but you can easily use store bought chana masala powder.
For Bhatura I always make it without yeast only but I am also sharing a recipe for making bhatura with yeast here. You can choose the method you prefer.
While chole bhatura is easily available in restaurants and eateries, making it at home is healthier, economical and you can control the spice levels. It is also fun to recreate such restaurant specialties at home right?
Also when making at home you can make bhatura with wheat flour or a mix of plain flour and wheat flour too.
I hope you will try tis easy chole bhature recipe at home and enjoy. It is
super easy north indian diah to make at home
delicious and flavorful
very filling
satiating breakfast dish
just like dhaba chole in flavor
vegetarian
How To Make Chole Bhature Recipe
The preparation and serving of this recipe can be divided into three parts
- Make chole– the chickpea curry
- Make bhatura recipe- the deep fried bread
- Assemble and serve with the other fixings like onion.
So here we go with detailed recipe with step by step photos.
Making Punjabi Chole Recipe
Cooking Chickpeas
Pick, rinse and soak 3/4 cup kabuli chana or white chickpeas in plenty of water for 8-12 hours.
Drain, rinse thoroughly and cook the chickpeas until completely. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of baking soda if you like. You can add few tea bags or 2-3 dried amla while cooking chickpeas for dark color. To cook the chickpeas you can use an instant pot or pressure cooker
Instant pot– 35 minutes in manual or pressure cooker mode with pressure valve in seal position, natural pressure release.
Pressure cooker– pressure cook for 15-18 whistles in medium flame.
Once cooked, drain excess water from chickpeas and set aside.
Proceeding with the chole masala
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pan. Add a bay leaf or tej patta, 2 cloves, a small cinnamon stick and saute well. Add a teaspoon cumin seeds and fry well too.
Next add chopped onions and saute till they turn a bit soft. Add slit green chilies and minced ginger and garlic. Saute till the raw flavor goes off. You can add 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste too.
Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Add the required salt to taste, spice powders- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 tablespoon chana masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder mix and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and fully cooked. You can add 1 teaspoon chilli powder for spicier chole.
Now add the cooked chickpeas. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Once done, remove from flame. If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse thoroughly before adding. Garnish with cilantro leaves, ginger juliennes and stir in the lemon juice.
You can serve this chole with bhature or butter naan, vegan naan, kulcha, plain paratha, jeera rice or steamed basmati rice too.
Making Bhatura Recipe-Fried Flatbread
Combine 2 cups all purpose flour or plain flour maida, 2 tablespoons sooji or rava, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large mixing bowl. You can also sift the maida salt and baking soda first and then add the other ingredients.
Now add water in parts slowly and mix well. Knead into a soft yet somewhat stiff pliable smooth dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside for 2-4 hours.
After 4 hours divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small circle or oval shape bhatura using a rolling pin. Roll 3-4 dough balls in the similar way for first batch frying.
Now heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Use a deep heavy pan for even frying. After heating the oil for 4-5 minutes, add a small pinch of dough to the oil. If it sizzles and raises after a second, oil is at right temperature for frying. A thermometer should read 190 C or 350 F.
Slowly slide 1 or 2 rolled bhature into the hot oil depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 30-40 seconds, it will puff up completely.
Now slowly flip and fry the other side. Remove the fried bhature to a plate lined with kitchen towel.
Serving Chole Bhature
Place fried bhature in a plate and add some piping hot chole. Serve along with finely chopped onions, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes. Serve this delicious north indian punjabi dish immediately. You can also add a fried green chili.
Pro Tips
Chole masala powder is a special blend of selected whole spices that adds a distinct unique flavor to chana masala recipe. I have given a recipe for homemade chole masala in this pindi chole recipe.
If this spice powder is unavailable you can increase garam masala by another teaspoon and add 2 teaspoons crushed pomegranate seeds or anardana and 1/2 teaspoon amchur or dried mango powder
While making bhature you can use a mix of plain flour and wheat flour of you like.
Make sure to let the dough sit for at least 2 hours to leaven.
Baking soda along with curd is the leavening agent for this bread.
You can double or halve the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to use peanut oil for frying. You can use any refined oil, vegetable oil as you prefer.
No they are not interchangeable in this recipe.
Yes, it can be used.
Add 2-3 tea bag or dried amla while cooking chickpeas
More Punjabi Recipes
Are you making this recipe? I would love to see a snap of your creation too. Do snap a pic and share on Instagram with hashtag #cookclickndevou and please give a star rating ★ in the recipe card above. Follow us on Pinterest , Instagram, Facebook for more recipes and ideas.
Recipe
Chole Bhature – Punjabi Chana Bhatura
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
For Chole
- 3/4 cup chickpeas dried OR 3 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf tej patta
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 3/4 cup onions chopped
- 1.5 cups tomatoes chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chilies
- 2 tablespoons chole masala powder or chana masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger juliennes optional
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
For Bhature
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 tablespoons rava
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- salt to taste
- oil for frying
Instructions
Making Punjabi Chole Recipe
- Pick, rinse and soak 3/4 cup kabuli chana or white chickpeas in plenty of water for 8-12 hours.
- Drain, rinse thoroughly and cook the chickpeas until completely. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of baking soda if you like. You can add few tea bags or 2-3 dried amla while cooking chickpeas for dark color. To cook the chickpeas you can use an instant pot or pressure cooker
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pan. Add a bay leaf or tej patta, 2 cloves, a small cinnamon stick and saute well. Add a teaspoon cumin seeds and fry well too.
- Next add chopped onions and saute till they turn a bit soft. Add slit green chilies and minced ginger and garlic. Saute till the raw flavor goes off. You can add 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste too.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Add the required salt to taste, spice powders- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 tablespoon chana masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder mix and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and fully cooked. You can add 1 teaspoon chilli powder for spicier chole.
- Now add the cooked chickpeas. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Once done, remove from flame. If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse thoroughly before adding. Garnish with cilantro leaves, ginger juliennes and stir in the lemon juice.
Making Bhatura Recipe-Fried Flatbread
- Combine 2 cups all purpose flour or plain flour maida, 2 tablespoons sooji or rava, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large mixing bowl. You can also sift the maida salt and baking soda first and then add the other ingredients.
- Now add water in parts slowly and mix well. Knead into a soft yet somewhat stiff pliable smooth dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside for 2-4 hours. You
- After 4 hours divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small circle or oval shape bhatura using a rolling pin. Roll 3-4 dough balls in the similar way for first batch frying.
- Now heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Use a deep heavy pan for even frying. After heating the oil for 4-5 minutes, add a small pinch of dough to the oil. If it sizzles and raises after a second, oil is at right temperature for frying. A thermometer should read 190 C or 350 F.
- Slowly slide 1 or 2 rolled bhature into the hot oil depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 30-40 seconds, it will puff up completely.
- Now slowly flip and fry the other side. Remove the fried bhature to a plate lined with kitchen towel.
Carole says
Recipe sounds great! Is there any way that you can substitute the wheat flour for a different, non-gluten type of flour? Can’t have wheat, but love the recipe! Thank you