Chole Bhature / Chola Poori

Traditionally, Chole Bhature / Chola Poori is a Punjabi cuisine dish but hugely popular all over the world. So I want to present both recipes in one post with step by step photos. So friends, try and share your comments!

In Tamil Nadu, Chola poori is a very popular lunch/dinner dish in restaurants. Usually, it is served with channa masala. Chole stands for a spicy curry made with white chickpeas/ channa and bhature is a fried Indian flatbread. Chole and Bhatura are made for each other.

In restaurants, bhaturas are huge in size. It is because they use huge pan and a lot of oil. It is difficult to have the same in our house. But the taste and fluffiness are the same. So don’t worry about the size.  It is also served with green chilies, onion and lemon wedges.

Furthermore, I would like to give one tip for this recipe. While deep frying bhature, make sure your oil is on high heat. otherwise, it would not be fluffy.

Finally, you may also like my south Indian style Poori Masala.

Chole Bhature / Chola Poori 2018-11-08 03:47:54

Serves 3                             

Prep Time   06:00        Cook Time   01:00        Total Time   07:00         

For Bhature / Poori

1. 2 cups all purpose flour / Maida
2. 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3. 1/4 cup rava /sooji /semolina
4. 1 tbsp oil
5. 2 tbsp yogurt / curd
6. 1/2 tsp salt
7. water as needed (I used 3/4 cup)
8. oil for deep frying          

For Chole / Channa Masala

1. 1 cup dried white chickpeas /250 grams (canned chic peas can also be used)
2. 1 medium sized onion
3. 2 tomatoes (200 grams)
4. 1 inch fresh ginger
5. 4 to 5 garlic pods
6. 2 green chilies finely chopped
7. 1 tbsp coriander powder
8. 1&1/2 tsp red chili powder
9. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
10. salt to taste
11. 1/2 tsp garam masala
12. 1 tsp crushed dry fenugreek leaves          

To Temper

1. 3 tbsp olive oil or any other oil
2. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3. 3 to 4 cloves
4. 1 inch cinnamon stick
5. 1 black cardamom or 2 green cardamoms
6. 1/2 bay leaf          

For Garnishing

1. 1 tbsp coriander leaves          

How To Cook Bhature /Poori:

1. In a wide plate or bowl, take all sieved purpose flour, sooji/rava/semolina and wheat flour, mix well.
2. To this add oil, salt and yogurt and mix well until crumbly in texture.
3. Then add water little by little and knead a stiff dough.
4. Once well kneaded cover the dough and set aside for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 mins, knead the dough well and then divide the dough into equal portions.
6. Meanwhile heat a pan with enough oil.
7. Now roll it slightly thicker than the usual poori. Use the all purpose flour to dust the ball. (as shown in the picture)
8. When the oil heats, turn the heat to medium and drop one poori in the hot oil.
9. Press the poori gently with a slotted ladle. Now poori will puff up.
10. Flip it and fry the other side until it becomes golden in color as shown in the video.
11. Drain the oil and place it over the tissue to remove the excess oil.
12. Perfect Bhaturas without any soda or other raising agent are ready to serve.
13. Serve Bhaturas with Channa Masala.          

How To Cook Chole / Channa:             

1. Rinse the white chickpeas twice in water and then soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight or for 6 to 7 hours.
2. Next day drain all the water and cook the chole with 3 cups of water, 1tsp salt and 1/4 tsp asafoetida /hing powder in a pressure cooker for 6 to 7 whistle on medium flame or cook until you heard the first whistle and then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Allow the pressure to release by itself before opening the cooker.
4. If you use canned chickpeas, drain and then wash the chickpeas and keep it aside.          

How To Cook Channa masala:

1. Chop onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic roughly and place them in a blender, blend until a smooth paste.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil over medium heat, when the oil heats, add all the ingredients given under 'temper' and fry until spluttering.
3. Then add finely chopped green chilies and fry for a few seconds. Be careful of the hot oil because the chilies cause a lot of spluttering.
4. Then bring the heat to low.
5. Add coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder, stir continuously till a nice aroma comes. It takes only a few seconds. Don't let it burn.
6. Then add onion tomato paste and salt, saute continuously until the oil oozes out from the masala. It takes 8 to 10 mins.
7. Then add fenugreek leaves and saute for few seconds.
8. Also pour 1 & 1/2 cups of water, mix well and bring it to boil.
9. Meanwhile, mash 2 tbsp of chickpeas and add it to the masala, mix well until combined.
10. Then add the remaining chickpeas and then garam masala powder, close the pan with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 mins or until it becomes a thick gravy.
11. Switch off the heat and finally, garnish it with coriander leaves.         By Santhi Therese    The Indian Claypot https://theindianclaypot.com/

Rinse the white chickpeas twice in water and then soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight or for 6 to 7 hours. Next day drain all the water and cook the chole with 3 cups of water, 1tsp salt and 1/4 tsp asafoetida /hing powder in a
pressure cooker for 6 to 7 whistle on medium flame or cook until you heard the first whistle and then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 3 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release by itself before opening the cooker.

Chop onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic roughly and place them in a blender,

blend until a smooth paste.

heat a pan with oil over medium heat, when the oil heats, add all the ingredients
given under ‘temper’ and fry until spluttering.

Then add finely chopped green chilies and fry for a few seconds. Be careful of the hot oil because the chilies cause a lot of spluttering.

Then bring the heat to low. Add coriander powder, red chili powder and
turmeric powder,

stir continuously till a nice aroma comes. It takes only a few seconds. Don’t let it burn.

Then add onion tomato paste and salt,

saute continuously until the oil oozes out from the masala

It takes 8 to 10 mins.

Then add fenugreek leaves and saute for few seconds.

Also pour 1 & 1/2 cups of water, mix well and bring it to boil.

Meanwhile, mash 2 tbsp of chickpeas and add it to the masala,

mix well until combined.

Then add the remaining chickpeas and

then garam masala powder, close the pan with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 mins or until it becomes a thick gravy.

Switch off the heat and finally, garnish it with coriander leaves.

How To Cook Chola Puri:

In a wide plate or bowl, take sieved all-purpose flour, sooji/rava/semolina and wheat flour, mix well.

To this add oil, salt and yogurt

mix well until crumbly in texture.

Then add water little by little and knead a stiff dough.

Once well kneaded

ccover the dough and set aside for 30 minutes.over the dough and set aside for 30 minutes.

After 30 mins, knead the dough well and then divide the dough into equal portions.

Now roll it slightly thicker than the usual poori. Use the all purpose flour to dust the ball.

When the oil heats, turn the heat to medium and drop one poori in the hot oil.
Press the poori gently with a slotted ladle. Now poori will puff up.
Flip it and fry the other side until it becomes golden in color as shown in the video.
Drain the oil and place it over the tissue to remove the excess oil.