Chole Bhature

Ingredients

• 1½ cups chickpeas (chole), soaked for 6-8 hours, drained, boiled with 1 tablespoon tea leaves, ½ tablespoon dried Indian gooseberries, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 black cardamom, 1 bay leaf and salt on low heat for ½ hour and drained
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 cup onion paste
• 150 grams cottage cheese (paneer), cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 inch ginger, cut into thin strips + for garnish
• 2-3 green chillies, slit
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 
• 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds powder
• ½ teaspoon chaat masala 
• ¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon black salt
• ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) powder
• ½ cup fresh tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon chole masala 
• ¼ cup yogurt
• Salt to taste 
• 1 bay leaf
• A pinch of carom seeds (ajwain)
• Imli wale pyaz to serve
• Gajar gobhi achaar to serve
• Bhature
• 1 cup refined flour (maida)
• 2 tablespoons semolina (rawa/suji)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of baking soda
• 2 tablespoons sour yogurt
• 1 teaspoon oil + to deep-fry

Method

1. Take refined flour in a large bowl, add semolina, sugar, salt, baking soda and yogurt and mix well. Add ½ cup water and knead into a soft dough. Add oil and continue to knead for a few seconds. Cover with a damp muslin cloth and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a non-stick pan, add onion paste, mix and saute till golden brown. 
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon ghee in another non-stick pan, add cottage cheese cubes and sauté. Transfer into a bowl.
4. Add ginger strips to the onion paste, add green chillies, red chilli powder, dried pomegranate seeds powder, chaat masala, crushed black peppercorns, black salt, dried fenugreek leaf powder, fresh tomato puree, chole masala and mix well.  Add yogurt, mix and saute till oil separates.
5. Add salt and the cooked chickpeas and mix well. Add ½ cup water, mix and continue to cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add cottage cheese cubes and mix lightly.
6. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.
7. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape them into pedas. Grease the worktop with some oil, place the dough ball on it and roll it into a round disc. Gently slide the disc into the hot oil and deep-fry till it puffs up. Make more bhatura in the same way.
8. Heat remaining ghee in the same small pan, add bay leaf and carom seeds and sauté for a few seconds. Add this to the chole masala and mix gently. 
9. Transfer the chole into a serving bowl, serve hot with bhature, imli wale pyaz and gajar gobhi achaar.