Chole Bhature

Ingredients

• 250g dried chickpeas
• 2 black tea bags
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, pureed
• 1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 5 tbsp neutral oil for the chole
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 tbsp chole masala
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1.5 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
• 1 tsp anardana (ground pomegranate seed)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp salt
• 300g maida (plain flour)
• 50g fine semolina
• 120g plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt for the dough
• 2 tbsp oil for the dough
• 1 litre neutral oil, for deep frying

Before you cook

• Soak the chickpeas in plenty of cold water overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
• Drain the chickpeas and rinse them well.
• Rub the maida, semolina, baking powder, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt together, then knead in the yoghurt and 2 tbsp oil, adding a little warm water until you have a soft smooth dough.
• Cover the dough and leave it somewhere warm for 2 hours.

Steps

1. Put the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker with the tea bags, baking soda, 1 tsp salt and 1.2 litres water.
2. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then let the pressure fall naturally.
3. Fish out the tea bags and set the chickpeas aside in their dark cooking liquid.
4. Heat 5 tbsp oil in a heavy pan and add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and black cardamom.
5. Add the chopped onions and fry patiently for 12 minutes until they are properly brown, not just golden.
6. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
7. Add the tomato puree and cook for 8 minutes until the mixture thickens and oil pools at the sides.
8. Add the chole masala, ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric and fry for 1 minute.
9. Tip in the chickpeas with about 400ml of their cooking liquid and the remaining salt.
10. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, crushing a ladleful of chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.
11. Stir in the amchur, anardana and garam masala and simmer for 5 more minutes, then taste for sourness and salt.
12. Divide the rested dough into eight balls and roll each into an oval about 15cm long and 4mm thick.
13. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 190C, testing with a scrap of dough that should rise in two seconds.
14. Slide one bhatura into the oil and press it under the surface with a slotted spoon for a few seconds until it balloons.
15. Flip it once and fry for 30 seconds more until pale gold, then drain on a rack.
16. Fry the remaining bhature one at a time, letting the oil come back up to temperature between each.
17. Serve the chole in bowls with a bhatura alongside, plus sliced onion, green chilli and a lemon wedge.