RECIPE FOR CHOLE BHATURE

My mother's sister had visited Delhi after a very, very long gap just recently (June' 07). She absolutley loves the Chole Bhature in Delhi, so does my mom. If we ever happen to go out, sitting in a restaurant, all she can order is "Cholla batura"

Therefore, when I went over this time, she said how much she missed eating the fluffy fried bread, the aroma & the taste of the chole. I agreed to prepare it for breakfast one day, to satisfy her craving for the same.

Here goes the recipe, however, I had made some mallu alterations while I was there, coz they dont like too much "pulli" in their curries, so I minused the "aamchur", n replaced it with karivepella to give that mallu touch. I am giving below the original, N. India recipe.

Ing for the Chole -

250 gms - white chole (vella kadla) - soaked overnight

3/4 sticks of cloves

1/2 inch stick of cinnamon

3/4 pods of cardamom

1 strong tea bag

2 medium sized onions

2 medium sized tomatoes

1 tsp of finely chopped garlic

1 tsp of finely chopped ginger

a slightly large pinch of asofetida

1-1/2 tbsp of powdered roasted cumin seed

1 tsp - black pepper powdered

1/2 tsp - anaardana powder (you can omit this if you want)

1 tsp - garam masala (if you get Chole masala then use it)

Ing for the Bhature :-

1/2 cup - Maida (Refined Flour)

1 cup - Wheat Flour

2 - boiled potatoes

a bunch of corriander leaves

3/4 green chillies

salt to taste

1/4 cup curd

1/4 tsp - yeast

NOW FOR THE BHATURA

You will have to knead the dough for the Bhatura at least 4/5 hrs before the consumption. Generally I knead it overnight & let it rise. Here I have added wheatflour instead of fully using the refined flour for health purposes........kindly overlook the fried part of the bhature :-)

1. In a little warm water add the yeast to rise


2. Seive the salt & the flours together.


3. Mash the potatoes well, so that there are no lumps & add to the flour


4. Add a tbsp of oil


5. Chop the corriander leaves & chillies finely & add to the flours


6. Add the curd


7. Add the risen yeast water


8. Knead all this together to make a not a very soft dough (use a little water if you need to). It should be a little stiff, coz when it raises the dough becomes too elastic n soft to be handled if it is very soft at the time of kneading.


9. Cover it with a wet cloth & leave it to rest - (I am very restless n go n touch n see it at least a hundred times !!!! )


10. For frying - heat oil in a wok. Remember it should be very hot.


11. Make equal medium sized balls (the size of a small potato) of the dough. If its stickly roll it in a little atta, so that it doesnt stick to the rolling board (we call it chakla in hindi & chappati kall in malyalam)


12. Lightly spread dough into a oval shap using the rolling pin. Use a little more wheatflour if it gets sticky.


13. Fry one by one into the hot ghee & remove when a golden brown colour on a tissue paper.

NOW FOR THE CHOLE

1. Boil the soaked chole in a pressure cooker, along with the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon.


2. Add salt in the pressure cooker before boiling, that way the chole are salty to the core n dont taste bland.


3. To this hide the tea bag way benath the chole for the risk of it getting jammed in the whistle of the cooker. (The tea bag gives it that thick dark black colour, which make the chole sooooooooo tempting).


4. Make a coarse paste of the onions & tomato.


5. Add oil to a wok (kadhai, cheena chatti), n let it heat


6. Add the chopped ginger & garlic, n fry till they are slightly brown.


7. Add the onion /tomato paste, fry till the oil floats on top. Remember that frying it a little more is better than frying it a little less, coz the raw taste spoils everything. Let it be a brown colour.


8. To this add the jeera masala, garam masala, pepper powder, anardana or amchur (this ing is to add a little tanginess to the chole, which I really like - mallus generally dont like it, th4, if you want you can avoid it), a little more salt if necessary, chilli powder or green chillies. Fry all these ingredients well till the colour is dark brown or black (but remember it shouldnt be burnt, you could add a little water each time the masala dries up).


9. Add the chole & mix well. Let it cook for another 2/3 minutes. If you mash up some of the chole, using the ladel itself, the end result is a mushy, thick gravy, which goes quite well with the Bhature.


10. Garnish with finely chopped onions, corriander, tomates & green chilies (or else you can serve all this on the side of the dish)


11. You can also add a few peices of fried paneer to it.

HAPPY EATING GIRLS !!! I hope you will enjoy this recipe & revert with your comments