Restaurant-Style Chole Bhature Recipe (Easy Punjabi Classic)
Learn to make authentic chole bhature at home with soft, fluffy bhature and spicy chickpea curry. Perfect for weekend brunch or special meals.
Ingredients
For Chole
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas kabuli chana, soaked overnight
- 2 tea bags
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes pureed
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp amchur powder dry mango powder
- 1 tsp chole masala store-bought or homemade
- 2 green chillies slit
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander leaves chopped
For Bhature
- 2 cups plain flour maida
- 1/2 cup thick yogurt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp oil for dough
- Warm water as needed about 1/4 cup
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
For Chole
- Drain the soaked chickpeas and add them to a pressure cooker with 3 cups water, tea bags, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15-18 minutes on medium heat or until the chickpeas are soft but not mushy. Remove tea bags and set aside. Keep the cooking water.
- Heat oil in a deep kadhai or pan. Add cumin seeds and bay leaves. Once they splutter, add chopped onions and sauté on medium heat until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Add pureed tomatoes and cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the oil separates from the masala, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and salt. Stir for 1 minute, then add the cooked chickpeas along with 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Add garam masala, amchur powder, chole masala, and slit green chillies. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The gravy should thicken and coat the chickpeas nicely. Mash a few chickpeas with the back of a spoon to thicken the gravy naturally.
- Adjust salt and spice levels. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
For Bhature
- In a large bowl, mix plain flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add yogurt and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well with your hands.
- Gradually add warm water, a little at a time, and knead into a soft, smooth dough. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. Knead for 5-6 minutes until elastic.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature. The dough will become softer and easier to roll.
- After resting, divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Lightly oil your palms if the dough feels sticky.
- Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai or deep pan on medium-high heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking.
- Take one dough ball, flatten it slightly, and roll it into a 15-18 cm oval or round disc, about 4-5 mm thick. Do not roll too thin.
- Gently slide the rolled bhatura into the hot oil. It should start puffing immediately. Press gently with a slotted spoon to help it puff up completely. Fry for 30-40 seconds on each side until golden brown.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Serve bhature hot.
Notes
Use a heavy-bottomed kadhai or deep pan for even frying. A deep fryer works great too.
You can refrigerate the bhature dough overnight. Bring it to room temperature before rolling and frying.
Leftover chole can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for a month. Reheat gently with a splash of water.
If you do not have chole masala, use an extra 1/2 teaspoon garam masala and a pinch of black salt instead.
For a richer gravy, add 2 tablespoons of cream or cashew paste in the last 5 minutes of cooking the chole.
Always fry bhature just before serving. They lose their fluff and turn chewy when they cool down.
Test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of dough. It should rise immediately without browning too fast.