Chholey Bhaturey(Chickpea Curry with Fried Indian Bread)

Chholey bhature (Hindi) is a combination of Chholey (spicy chick peas curry) and fried Indian Breads called Bhature (made of maida flour).
It is mainly eaten in North India and seems to have originated in Punjab. It is a snack food and is commonly eaten for breakfast.

Ingredients:
For chholey :

• 1 small can of garbanzo beans ( chick pea or Kabuli chana)
• 1 medium sized finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp tomato chunks
• ½ tsp of ginger paste
• ½ tsp of garlic paste
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 2 ½ cups of oil
• 2 tbsp cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 6-7 mint leaves
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• ½ tsp of chili powder
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2-3 cloves
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• ginger juliennes

For Bhaturas :

• 1 can of Pillsbury unbaked country biscuits only
• 2 cups of oil to deep fry the bhaturas

Method :

For the Chholey :

• Take 2 tablespoons of oil in a pressure cooker and heat it.
• Add cumin seeds, fry till they start spluttering
• Add bay leaves and cloves
• Add diced onions. Fry till they are light brown. Add ginger and garlic paste. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and salt. Add tomato chunks. Fry for sometime. Add garbanzo beans and water.
• Close the pressure cooker and wait for 2-3 whistles. Cool it. Transfer into a dish.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes, chopped cilantro and pudina (mint)leaves.

For the Bhaturas :

• Pour the oil in a 'kadai' (Round Bottomed Pan /Wok). Wait until it is well heated up.
• Open the Pillsbury biscuit can by twisting it. There will be already made mounds and roll them into 5-6 inch sized bhaturas
• Fry them in oil. Put them in on an kitchen towel so that extra oil is absorbed.
• Serve Chhola and Bhatura with sliced onion rings, pickle and green chili.

Tips: Bhaturas absorb less oil when fried in quite hot oil.

Do You Know?

Maida flour is a finely-milled wheat flour ( in South India it is Tapioca). After the flour is ground in a roller mill (Chakki), it is passed through a fine mesh (600 mesh per square inch) to obtain maida.

Foods made of maida are not considered to be particularly healthy. Still, during festive days maida is a common ingredient.

Maida is used to make a wide variety of food items, including puri, chapati, paratha along with pastries and other bakery items such as bread, biscuit, and toast.

Pastry flours available in United States may be used as a substitute for Maida. Pastry flour or cookie flour or cracker flour has slightly higher gluten content than cake flour but lower than all-purpose flour. It is suitable for fine, light-textured pastries.