Degchi
Delhi's favourite weekend breakfast: spicy chickpeas simmered with tea-dark masala, served with fluffy deep-fried bhature bread. A plate of this with pickled onions and chutney is a street-food institution across North India.
Quick answer: 60 min in total · serves 4 · main ingredients: Chickpeas, Onion, Tomato, Ginger · amounts in metric and US
Ingredients
- 300 g 10.5 oz Chickpeas, dried, soaked overnight (8 hours), then drained
- 2 pc 2 pc Onion, finely chopped
- 2 pc 2 pc Tomato, pureed
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp Ginger, paste
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp Garlic, paste
- 2 tsp 2 tsp Chaat masala
- 1 tsp 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp 1 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1.5 tsp 1.5 tsp Salt, to taste
- 3 tbsp 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 300 g 10.5 oz All-purpose flour, for bhature dough
- 3 tbsp 3 tbsp Yogurt, for the dough
- 0.5 tsp 0.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp 1 tsp Tea leaves, tied in muslin, for colour (Optional)
Steps
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- Pressure-cook the dried chickpeas (soaked overnight for 8 hours and drained) with the tea-leaf pouch and a pinch of salt for about 25 minutes (4–5 whistles), until they mash easily. Discard the pouch and keep the cooking water.⏱ Cooking chickpeas · 25 min
- Make the bhatura dough: rub the yogurt, baking powder and salt into the maida, add water a little at a time and knead with a spoonful of oil into a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest it for 2 hours at room temperature; it should turn soft and slightly puffy.⏱ Dough resting · 120 min
- Heat the oil, fry the chopped onion for 5 minutes until golden, then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute.⏱ Frying onion · 5 min
- Add the tomato puree, red chilli powder and garam masala and cook for 6 minutes until the oil separates from the masala.⏱ Cooking masala · 6 min
- Add the chickpeas with about 1 cup of their cooking water and simmer for 15 minutes, mashing a few, until the gravy is thick and dark. Finish with the chaat masala.⏱ Simmering chole · 15 min
- Divide the rested dough into balls and roll each into an oval about 3 mm thick, using a little oil rather than flour on the board.
- Fry each bhatura in oil at about 180 °C (350 °F), gently pressing it under the oil until it puffs, then flip and fry until golden on both sides, about 1–2 minutes per bhatura.⏱ Frying (per bhatura) · 3 min
- Serve the hot chole with fresh bhature, pickled onions and green chutney.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does Chole Bhature take?
60 minutes in total: about 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking.
Is Chole Bhature hard to make?
Degchi rates it medium. The method has 9 steps, and 6 of them have a timer you can start on this page.
How many people does Chole Bhature serve?
This recipe serves 4. Use the toggle above the ingredient list to see the amounts in metric or US measures. For more or fewer portions, scale every amount in the same proportion, or use the servings control in the Degchi app.
Is Chole Bhature halal, vegetarian or eggless?
It is marked halal in our recipe data. It is vegetarian. It has no egg. It has no beef. Check the labels on any packaged ingredients for your own needs.
What will I probably need to buy for Chole Bhature?
Everyday staples that Degchi counts as pantry basics: red chilli powder, salt, cooking oil. Spice-box items: chaat masala, garam masala. Fresh items you will probably need to buy: onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, yogurt. Lentils, grains and other dry goods: chickpeas, all-purpose flour, baking powder.
Any tips for making Chole Bhature?
A tea-leaf pouch while boiling gives the chickpeas their classic dark colour without extra spice. If the bhature do not puff, the oil is usually not hot enough, or the dough was rolled too thin or too dry. Drop a pinch of dough in the oil; it should rise at once.
Notes and questions
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Cooking terms in this recipe: Chaat masala · Maida (refined wheat flour)
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