Punjabi Style Chole Bhature

Cultural Story (Suman Sharma)

Chole Bhature, also known as Chana Bhatura, is a famous Punjabi dish. Every time I think of this dish, it brings me to a nostalgic city down the memory lane. Chola Bhatura is a Punjabi dish, something that I didn't know until I was about eleven years old because my grandma used to make it for breakfast and lunch on Weekends. The menu was entirely reliant on whether she had prepared the dough beforehand.

In the northern part of India, this dish is one of the most common breakfast/snack choices. It can be eaten as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. This is an example of a dish that can be found almost anywhere in India. Chola bhatura could be found in almost every restaurant, town center, or roadside eatery known as a ‘Dhaba.' ‘Chole Bhature' is a Hindi word, and ‘Chole' (also known as ‘Chana') is a spicy and brown sauce.

Ingredients

For Chole:

·         1 tbsp vegetable oil

·         1 dried bay leaf

·         5 cardamom pods

·         4 cloves

·         ½- inch piece of cinnamon

·         2 tsp cumin seeds

·         1 large red onion (finely diced)

·         2 heaping tsp ginger garlic paste

·         3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)

·         ½ tsp turmeric

·         ½ tsp cayenne (or any powdered red chili pepper)

·         4 cups chickpeas

·         Salt to taste

For Bhatura:

·         2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

·         1 tsp vegetable oil

·         ½ cup vegan yogurt

·         1 tsp sugar

·         Salt to taste

·         Oil for deep frying

Directions
Place all of the ingredients, except the water, in a food processor, stand mixer bowl, or large mixing bowl if kneading by hand. Drizzle in the water and knead the dough until it is elastic yet firm. Set aside in an airtight container while you prepare the chana masala.

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the whole spices: bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Finally, whisk in the cumin to combine it. When the cumin starts to sizzle, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook until golden brown. Sauté for a minute after applying the ginger-garlic paste.

Sauté for another minute with the cayenne and turmeric, then add the diced tomatoes

Sauté for another minute with the cayenne and turmeric, then add the diced tomatoes. Mix thoroughly and cook, stirring regularly, until the tomatoes are completely broken down and pulpy.

Stir in the chickpeas and 2 cups of water thoroughly. Stir the chana masala spice mix into the chana masala.

Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes so all the flavors merge. You can use a potato masher to mash some of the chickpeas and thicken the sauce. If the chana masala looks too dry, add more water. Squeeze in the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves, if using.

Making the bhatura as follows:

In a pan big enough to accommodate the bhatura, heat the oil for frying. Create 10 balls out of the dough by splitting it into 10 bits. Roll out into a circle with a diameter of six to eight inches. Make sure the dough is uniformly rolled, with no areas that are too thick or too thin. Place a bhatura into the pan when the oil is hot, about 360 degrees, taking care not to spill the oil on yourself. As the bhatura puffs up, press it down with a spatula to ensure that it cooks evenly and forms a ball.

Move the bhatura to a paper towel-lined colander. Serve with chana masala on the side.