Chhole Puri

One of our firm favourites, everyone gets excited with this comes out as a meal for the week!

A delicious serving of chhole, a flavorful chickpea curry, paired with golden, crispy puris, accompanied by green chili and pickle for a near perfect culinary experience.

Ingredients

Chhole:

4 tins of chickpeas

1 teabag

3 onions, finely chopped

2-inch piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp ginger and garlic paste

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp raw mango powder /amchoor

salt to taste

1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

1-2 slit green chillies

2 bay leaves

Puris:

Oil for frying

2 cups of aata/chapati flour

½ tsp of salt

2 tbsp oil

Water

Method:

Drain the water from the chickpeas. If using the pressure cooker, put the drained chickpeas in the pressure cooker with water about an inch more than the level of chickpeas. Add the teabag and cook on high heat until the pressure build. Turn the heat down to medium, and allow to cook for a further 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the cooker to release its pressure naturally.

Make the poori dough by adding the flour, salt, and oil to a large mixing bowl. Mix briefly and then make a well in the centre so that you can see the bottom of the bowl. Add enough water so that it is level with the top of the well.

Start to mix the water and flour with a spoon, and then go in with your hands to bring the mixture together into a doughball. If you need more water, add it a little at a time so that all the loose flour sticks to the doughball.

Remove the mixture to a lightly floured work surface, and continue to knead for 3-4 minutes or until smooth.

Rub 1 tbsp of oil onto your hands, and knead again for a minute or so until you get a smooth dough. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with a lid or tea towel.

Set a large wok on high heat and add 2 tbsp of oil. After 30 seconds, add the cumin and chopped root ginger. Cook for 10-20 seconds, then add the chopped onions. Turn the heat to medium and cook the onions, stirring regularly, until they turn a deep golden brown. This can take up to 25-30 minutes on medium heat.

Next, add the ginger and garlic paste and cook until the raw smell has gone.

Add the ground spices – cumin, coriander, fennel, red chilli powder if using, amchoor, and garam masala. Cook for a further minute, then add 2 tsp salt. Mix well. Turn the heat to low, cover and allow to cook until the pressure on the cooker releases.

Once released, the tea bag out and add the chickpeas to the onion masala using a slotted spoon. Take care not to add too much water straight away, but save the water from the pressure cooker.

Mix the chickpeas and onions masala well. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-10 minutes. Add some of the water from the pressure cooker to bring the chhole to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt. Add the bay leaves and cover to cook on a low heat for 10-12 minutes.

To make puris, pour 3-4 inches of oil in a deep frying pan and set it on high heat.

Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes in the bowl, and then divide it into equal portions, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Roll them into smooth balls. Spray them with some cooking spray and set them aside. Covered with a tea towel.

Using a rolling pin and roti board, start to roll out puris to approximately 5-6 inches round. While making puris, it is better to roll out 3-4 before starting to fry them. You can use a large piece of kitchen foil to set aside the ones you have rolled out.

Once the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium. Carefully, drop one poori into the oil, and use a slotted spoon to gently turn it around in the pan, applying gently pressure all over.

After 10 seconds or when it puffs up, turn it over and allow it to cook for a further 10-20 seconds. When the bubbling of the oil reduces to nearly nothing, the puri is ready. Remove it to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Fry the remaining puris in the same way.

Once all the puris are ready, serve with Chhole, some chopped raw onion, achar, and green chillies. You can also serve it with yoghurt and chopped cucumber and tomatoes.