September 21, 2006

ALU CHOLE` WITH BHATURA, LASSI AND CHILLED WATER MELON !

Alu Chole Bhatura:
A delicious fried Indian bread Bhatura, creamy golden, soft and tangy due to added sour cream and baking powder, most popular classic Punjabi dish which goes well with chick peas (Kabuli Chana) mixed with potatoes and tomatoes, called Alu chole in India. You cannot think of a better combination than these except probably Idli-Sambhar from the south!!Served with onions thinly sliced,mixed with salt,paprika and lemon juice and a big glass of lassi. Oh wait! a bowl of fresh chilled fruit to finish off the meal! Did I just die and go to Heaven??!!! :D

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When we were in B'lore, we often used to visit this outdoor garden restaurant, (I cannot remember the name, it's been almost 16 yrs.since we left India) which is famous for it's Chole-Bhatura! The waiter would bring a plate of one huge Bhatura about 10" in diameter all puffed up like a balloon balanced on his right palm held way up above the shoulder over his head to avoid colliding with others and other hand holding a small plate of Chole and salad!! What a wonderful, comical sight!! Man!!Just thinking about that makes me homesick..sigh...

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Anyhoo!! :) Here are the recipes for Alu Chole and Bhatura. I am sure there are million variations of these dishes as unique as the people of India!! This would be my version adding and eliminating over the years, finally a restaurant style chole, I would be very glad to share with you. This Chole does not have many spices as is common in other recipes but delicious tasting!! Hope y'all will give it try...:D

FOR CHOLE` YOU NEED:

1 lb Can of Chick Peas
2 Small Potatoes , cubed
2 Plum Tomatoes, sliced
2 big Onions, chopped
1" Ginger, chopped
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tbsp Sour Cream or yoghurt
1/2 tsp Amchoor ( Mango Powder)
1 tsp Kasoori Methi (optional)
Cilantro, 1 Green Chilly ,lemon slices for Garnish




Onion Relish: 1/2 Sliced Onion washed and mixed with paprika, salt and lemon juice.

TO MAKE CHOLE`:
1. Heat 1 tsp oil , fry 2 chopped onions until reddish. Add ginger for a minute and put it in a blender. Add in chilli pd, salt ,tomatoes and blend to a smooth paste.
2. Heat 1 tbsp butter , add cubed potatoes, fry until brown, half cooked adding water if necessary.
3. Add ground masala , fry until you see a shine on top for 5 mins., add in sour cream , stir-fry. Pour in 1/2 to 1 cup water to thin.Simmer till potatoes are cooked.
4. Now add chick peas, all the spices and mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
5. That's about it! Garnish before serving with Bhatura.

NOTE:Please adjust the spices like amchur,garam masala,chilli pd according to your taste in any dish given!! Thanks :))

TO MAKE BHATURAS YOU NEED:

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2 Cups Plain Flour
1 tbsp Cream Of Wheat(Semolina)
2 tbsp Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Powder

HOW TO:

Mix and knead all the above ingredients with enough water to make a stiff dough. Apply some oil on the dough and cover. Let it rest for 4 hrs.Divide into 6-7 pieces and roll them out to about 8" circles 1/8" thickness.


Heat enough oil in a wide pan to 375F, fry each Bhatura until it is slightly golden and drain on the paper towels.Some times they puff and some times they don't.That's okay but make sure you take them out of the oil before become too reddish.They should be soft and creamish in color.Serve with Chole and onion relish along with a glass of lassi and a plate of chilled fruit.




Minty Vanilla Yogurt Lassi: (Pronounced as "LUH-SSEE", not as the Movie dog!! :D)

Posted by Picasa 2 cups Low-Fat Dannon Vanilla Yogurt or any flavor you like
2 Mint Leaves
1/2 Cup Super fine sugar or to your taste
1/4 Cup Ice Water

8-10 Ice cubes, crushed.




HOW TO:
1.Blend all these in a blender with a whipper blade if you have it or use regular blender.Idea is to make frothy.If not sour enough,you could add 1-2 tbsp sour cream.
2. Then 1/4 Cup Crushed Ice and blend again.
3. To serve, frost the rim of a tall glass with lemon juice and powdered sugar.Pour in the shake. Garnish with mint leaves,Vanilla seeds and Rose Petals.

Finish It Off With A Plate Of Chilled Juicy Water Melon!!

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ENJOY!! I will see you all on Monday!!

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

You made my day :-) BEAUTIFUL pictures. Chole Bhatura has always been My all time favorite! I need to go and quickly soak some chickpeas right now, somehow I do not get good results with canned chickpeas. Do you feel any difference in the two?
Thank You Thank You Thank You for some great eye candy!

Shelly

wheresmymind said...

Mint/vanilla eh? Interesting combo.

Mahek said...

hi
do you have the recipe of thakatak
of pakistan the mix vegetable dish that you were taking about.
i love mix vegetables as they give so much nutrition

Anonymous said...

I loooove chole bhature, but never prepared them. Will try your version soon :).

FH said...

You are welcome, Shelly!! In India we always use dry,soaked chickpeas,no choice! Here thank Heavens, we get canned!:)
No difference but easier with canned.Don't cook soaked one's to a mush,that's all!!
Feedback please :D :D

Try it Mister W!!and then let me know!!:D:D But don't use more 2 mint leaves, American mints are CRAZY strong flavored unlike Indian mint!!:))

FH said...

Mahek, I do have a Pakistani cook book somewhere in my collection and I did cook Takatak once,tasted wonderful,not necessary with leftovers but could use any. Now I will find it for you and let you know,I promise!!Gimme some time!:)

Shilpa!! YOU!! Never made Chole Bhatura?? I am shocked :))) Kidding!! Now there is NO excuse but to cook for ur hubby's lunch!! Promise?? :D Thanks sweetheart..

Anonymous said...

What a menu! Simply superb. I use chana masala and it has a lot of aamchoor in it. Aamchoor and garam masala is a good variation. Thanks!

Meena Kandlakuti said...

Asha,
nice things to eat for lunch or dinner or any time..and nice presentations too..love them all.Have a nice weekend

FH said...

Thanks Hema! Kala chana masala is yummy too!! I love it and yes, you can adjust the spices always to your taste. My kids donot like too much spice but I do!!
Oh well..sigh.. :))

You too, Meena! Relax and enjoy the weekend!! Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

What a complete meal.... I am full Asha!! As said the big chole batura is yummy anytime. My batura is different , will try this next time.

Menu Today said...

Hi Asha,
Thanks for your visual treat!!!!
Happy weekend.

Keshi said...

ur blog always makes me feel Im missing out on so many yummy foods - damnnnnnnn!

Keshi.

Prema Sundar said...

Hi Asha,
Didn't make chole bhatura for a long long time and ur pictures make me crave for it. Excellent pictures. Thanks for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

my stomach is full...no more space to see other blogs..hey, u got a very nice way of explaining things...have u ever worked as a teacher? thanks for the recipe asha..

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh! delicious restaurant style batura ,my mouth is watering already.Thanks for sharing this Recipe...will try this soon...:)

Anonymous said...

i love chole bhature, but when i make it the chana always turns out a bit hard.

Anonymous said...

wow.... perfect dinner :) I love lassi very much-- never tried one at home-- thanks for the recipe-- will try soon:)

Unknown said...

very nice meal specialyy in weekends...will sure try this weekend,,,thnx for sharing..u have a nice blog..

Vaishali said...

Asha,
Shall I pop in over at your place for lunch this weekend? I do not fry; I don't like it somehow. But I DO ENJOY things fried by others. For example, a Bhatura fried to perfection by you. Mmmmm....shall I come over then? :)

FH said...

Thanks Jay! If you have Bhatura in your blog, I am going there right now! :))

You are welcome, MT!

Hi there Monisha! you are right,bet you have made these many times!! Thanks!!

You flatter me, Lera!:)) Thanks!

Thanks Prema! Time to make chole-Bhature again!! :D

FH said...

Keshi, you bad bad girl!:D:D
You can't say 'daaamn' in the 'Bible Belt', you upset'em !! You say 'Daaang'!:))) I know you don't care, me neither!! Hope you try making these dishes, not just regret! :D:D

Thanks HariPriya! It was our sunday lunch, only time we all get to sit at the table together!:D

Hi Priya B, hope you try the Lassi, it is yummy!! Thanks!

FH said...

Hi Cyber Kitty! I am suprised that chana gets tougher as you cook,mine tends to get mushy!! :)Try cooking in pressure cooker for a very short while just until cooked, not mushy! or use canned! Good luck next time! :)) Thanks!

Thanks Maneka! People do mistake me for a teacher all the time!! My kids' teachers send notes to ask me NOT to teach the kids at home so they don't get bored in school! :)) Book stores send me 'special discounts for teachers only' coupons!! Ofcourse I don't use them,that would be cheating!!:D
I guess good education and loads of reading makes you articulate your thoughts!!

sra said...

Hi Asha! Lovely watermelon you got there!

FH said...

SRA, thanks! We love watermelons!!

Thanks Saffron!! They are great old classics from the north India,aren't they? :))

Vaishali babe,SURE!! On the way to Pune,stop by NC and we will have a nice dinner!!Pop in!! :)))))
Do not fry, I will do it for you!!:D :D

Anonymous said...

The chole bature with lassi is making me nostalgic about home. It looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.

Seema said...

heyyyy so tempting yummmmyyyy picssss...wannaa just take them off the page n eat !!!
lovely recipes..moreover so tempting...mouth waterinnnn !!!
thanks for yr walk at the clouds n hope u enjoyed it !!

Krithika said...

I absolutely love chhole-bhature. Pics look mouth-watering !!

FH said...

Thanks Krithika! Appreciate it! :))

You are welcome, Mandira! Are you from Punjab? If yes, It really flattering!!

Seema! welcome to my blog and thanks! I don't know if I deserve THAT much of....:)))

sudha said...

Chole batura is my favourite outside food. I never prepared at home..i think i should try now.
You have lot of patience for providing us detailed procedure of this recipe. Thanks for your time.

Chandrika said...

Hmm.....Looks so Yummmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyy.....Will make it over the weekend... Thank you, Asha!

Vani said...

Thanks for visiting my blog, Asha. The chhole batura looks delicious! I think I know the restaurant in BLR you mention - close to Cunningham Rd, right? The best chhole bature I've ever had! They closed that restaurant about 8 years ago, I think. Sad..

FH said...

Thanks Sudha! Yes! It takes atleast 3 days for me to write up for the post! I appreciate you for noting that!:)

Chandrika, let me know how did it go for you!

Thanks Vani! I am sad to hear abt that restauraunt ! Lot of memories!! Best chole-Bhature indeed! I think the name was 'Monsoon', not sure!:((

Pavani said...

Hi Asha,
How did you read my mind?? I soaked chickpeas to make chole in the evening and was planning to look online for bhature recipes and voila the first site I see already has what I want.. You made my day girl.. Thanks so much. Have a wonderful weekend.
Cheers
Pavani

FH said...

Fate Pavani!! :)) This morning I thought 'Hey! I haven't seen Pavani in my blog for a while, let me remind her' and left a comment! Here you are looking for Chole and I have it!! SEE !!
Thanks!! and let know how did you like it, any advise always welcome!! Cheers..

Anonymous said...

Asha, sounds wonderful. I made a cheater's version of chole curry the other night (cheater cause it was too quick to be real!)- yours sounds much better and easy, too. I'll give it a try - thanks! :)

FH said...

Thanks Linda! I would like to know the cheater's version :)) But yeah! this recipe is easy too ,let me know if you try it!!

Prema Sundar said...

Hi Asha couldn't comment on ur egg masala.. i dont find a comment link.. check out.

FH said...

Thanks Prema!I accidentally had changed the settings, having lot problems with blog these days!! But I fixed it! :))

Nee said...

Asha - I SO wish you lived a little closer! I bet your friends keep popping over with a gazillion culinary requests all the time, don't they?

FH said...

Hi Nee ! you are back!!:)) On a short break or busy !! I wish you lived near too!! :))
Abt real friends,most of them are in B'lore. Here we live in a small town with more Pakistanis( furniture factories, a hint;), hardly any Indians! Most we know are white doctors, one from Kerala, they loove to visit!!But they treat us in return in restaurants! Wish somebody cooks for me! BOO HOO!! :D:D:D
It's okay, I like cooking, but what I don't like is guests who pop in and expect us treat them like royalty, they do in India!! My poor mom !!Even with a cook around ,it's still hard on her!

Anonymous said...

Asha,
I saw your comment on Nupur's blog about the Misal you used to eat in "BELGAUM" and this is how I traced your blog. Iam from Belgaum and so this excitement about getting to know someone from the small good old town of mine :)
-Amu

FH said...

Hi Amu,glad to hear from you too!:)) I went to Lingaraj Arts college and Arvind ,my husband went to JNMC there.We were there for 5 yrs and then moved to B'lore! Hope to see you back!:))

Anonymous said...

Hi there,
I just googled for Chole recipes and came across your blog. I must say, you r doing a gr8 job of blogging your recipes.
By the way, I am from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and wanna thank you for make life easier for us who are not so good cooks.
Thnx

SB

FH said...

From Tanzania!!! Thank you so much for dropping by and commenting.This recipe is really tasty and easy too.Hope you try.Hope you come back to say hello again!:))
Have a great week.

Rumna said...

Hi Asha ,

You have got a wonderful collection of recipes and beautiful pictures which prompt the reader to dorn the apron and try something new .
This recipe is awesome and thanks for the other numerous recipes.Will surely try some and let you know how it goes :)

FH said...

Thank you for your appreciation Rumna. I do my best, glad you liked them!:))
Enjoy and let me know.

Anonymous said...

thanks lots for sharing recipe

FH said...

You are welcome Anon, hope you liked it!:))

mars said...

your recipe turned out superb.. i googled for chikar cholay recipe n came across ur recipe, it's ingredients caught my eyes n i made it da next time i stepped into the kitchen n the results made me come back n join in. by the way i'm maryam from lahore.. i did replaced paprika for black pepper as we don't use paprika in pakistani based dishes... plz do keep up da gr8 work!! regards!!

FH said...

Thanks Mars, I loved Chikkad too. It was a new recipe for me as well. Adding Pepper pd instead of Paprika is a great tip from you, thanks. I just tend to add Paprika for red color in everything! ;D

Jay said...

Awesome is the word for this combo! Also how is that I happened to be all set for this.. chick peas soaked and hunting for bhatura recipe and wham.... it is just complete with the lassi (vanilla yogurt and some mint leaves in stock is a miracle for me - I don't have things handy when I need them most) those juicy melons were irresistible after the feast with chole bhatura and lassi. Your blogging is commendable Asha! Thank u!

FH said...

You are very welcome Jay! :)

Nothing beats a meal of Chana Batura, very filling and satisfying. Love them. Have a great day and enjoy.