I associate Chhole Bhature with Sunday breakfast or the Holi lunch at Mess. I still find it unsettling having it on any other day!
This recipe was result of a quest to impress my sister in law, who is a pure vegetarian, the serious kind – no onion no garlic. I happened to have a meal at her grandparents place long time back and was in awe of the fact that vegetarian food can have so much variety, that too without onion and garlic!
When she was visiting us, I was determined to impress her with my vegetarian cooking skills and was all set to be floored with compliments since she knows my hard core non vegetarian side. Well, that’s another thing that I never got to serve her these Chhole.
Besides the taste, this has become my go to recipe for vegetarians over the years majorly because I don’t have to chop onions.
Serves – 4 Time – 30 minutes + Soaking time
Ingredients
- Chhole/White Chickpeas – 1 cup soaked overnight
- Dried Amla/Gooseberry – 2 pieces
- Tomatoes chopped – 1 big
- Ginger julienne – 1 tblspn
- Green chilies – 2
- Carrom seeds/Ajwain
- Chhole masala powder – 2.5 tblspn
- Amchur powder – 1 tspn
- Cumin/Zeera powder – 1 tspn
- Coriander/ Dhaniya powder – 1 tspn
- Red chili powder – 1 tspn
- Asafoetida /Hing – 1 pinch
- Black salt – as per taste
- Ghee – 4 tblspn
Method
- Soak chhole in lukewarm water for 6-7 hrs or overnight
- Pressure cook in fresh water for 25 minutes along with amla and black salt
- Separate the water from chhole, discarding the amla
- Marinate chhole with tomatoes, green chilies & all the dry spices (except ajwain), for 2-3 hrs
- Heat Ghee, add ajwain & chhole and fry for 3-4 minutes
- Add the chhole water saved earlier, as per the gravy consistency required
- Serve hot
Notes
- Pairs well with Puri/Bhature/Steamed rice
- If preparing for lunch, I marinate the chhole and put it in fridge to save time the next day
- More the Ghee, better the taste
My Medley Rasoi 