Chole Bhature

How to make it

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas under cold water until the water runs clear. Cover them with plenty of cold water and let them soak (see advance prep). They are ready when they have doubled in size and can be snapped between two fingernails.
2. Combine the flour, semolina, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the yogurt and canola oil, then knead the dough together with the lukewarm water, a little at a time. Keep kneading for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is soft and pliable and comes away cleanly from your hand. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set it in a warm spot (see advance prep). ⏱ 8 min–10 min
   Chef's tip Bhatura dough wants to be softer than chapati dough — slack enough to feel slightly tacky. A stiff, over-floured dough springs back under the pin and puffs poorly in the oil.
3. Pour the soaked chickpeas into the pressure cooker along with the 1.2 liters of water. Add the tea bags, the black cardamom, and the bay leaves, and stir the salt and baking soda into the water. The tea is what turns the chickpeas the deep brown that chole should be, and the baking soda softens the skins.
4. Close the pressure cooker and cook the chickpeas for 25-35 minutes, until they can be mashed to a soft paste between two fingers. ⏱ 25 min–35 min · passive
   Chef's tip Cook them fully soft now — once they meet the acidic tomato base they stop softening, so any chickpea with a firm core stays firm to the table. Test two or three; the pot is rarely even.
5. Fish out the tea bags, cardamom, and bay leaves and discard them. Drain the chickpeas through a sieve, but reserve 5 dl of the dark cooking liquid. This is the chickpeas' own stock and gives the sauce both color and body.
6. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for about 1 minute, until they smell nutty and have turned a shade darker.
7. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté it for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly. It should turn deep golden brown, not pale — it's this brown color that gives chole its sweetness and depth. ⏱ 8 min–10 min
8. Stir in the grated ginger, garlic, and finely chopped green chili, and keep cooking for 2 minutes, until the raw, sharp smell has disappeared.
9. Turn the heat down to low and stir the turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, and Kashmiri chili powder into the fat. Toast the spices for about 1 minute, until they smell warm and full. The low heat is necessary because ground spices burn within seconds and turn bitter.
10. Pour in the tomato purée and turn the heat back up to medium. Let the mixture cook down for 10-12 minutes, until it pulls away from the pot in a single mass and the ghee beads out along the edge. That's the sign the base is done. ⏱ 10 min
11. Stir the chole masala, amchur, and salt into the finished base in the pot. Fold in the cooked chickpeas so each one is coated in the dark mixture. Cook them along for 2 minutes, until they glisten.
12. Add the reserved cooking liquid and bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat down and let the chole simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and clings heavily to the chickpeas. Mash a spoonful of the chickpeas against the side of the pot along the way, so the sauce thickens without flour. ⏱ 20 min · passive
13. Stir in the garam masala and season the chole to taste with salt and amchur. The acidity should come through clearly, since it's what lifts the heavy, dark sauce.
14. Knock back the rested bhatura dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball between your palms, and cover the balls with a damp cloth so the surface doesn't dry out.
15. Heat the sunflower oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 180-190°C. This takes 8-10 minutes, and the oil is ready when a small piece of dough rises to the surface within a couple of seconds and sizzles at the edges. ⏱ 8 min–10 min
    Chef's tip Much below 170°C the dough drinks oil and comes out heavy and greasy; too hot and it colours before the inside sets. Watch the oil between breads — the temperature drops each time one goes in.
16. Roll out the first ball of dough into an oval about 15 cm long and about 3 mm thick. Roll out only one at a time, since a rolled-out bhatura left waiting won't puff up.
    Chef's tip Roll from the center outward and keep the thickness even; thin spots tear in the oil, and the steam escapes through the hole. Use a smear of oil rather than lots of flour — loose flour burns and blackens both the oil and the flavor.
17. Lower the bhatura into the hot oil and gently press it down with a slotted spoon until it puffs up like a balloon. Flip it and keep frying until both sides are light golden, about 2 minutes total. Lift it out onto a rack. Roll and fry the rest of the bhature the same way, one at a time. ⏱ 15 min
    Chef's tip Pressing holds the whole bhatura under the oil so both surfaces heat at once and the trapped steam inflates it. If it hasn't lifted within a few seconds, spoon hot oil over the top rather than pressing harder.
18. Serve the bhature steaming hot on a flat plate with the hot chole in a small bowl on the side. Scatter the roughly chopped fresh cilantro over the chole. Set the red onion rings, lemon wedges, and mango pickle on the table. Tear off a piece of the bhatura by hand, squeeze lemon over the chole, and use the bread as a scoop.