Chole Batura / chola poori & Chana masala

Chole batura / Chana batura / Chola poori is a combination of chick peas with fried maida bread from Punjabi cuisine. It is a street food and commonly eaten for breakfast in North India. In South India, it is famously known as chola poori mostly available in all hotel & restaurant.
                            In my childhood whenever we go to restaurant, my first choice will be for malabar parotta & then for this big poori " chana batura". It attracts all the kids with its size & with chana beans. Try & NJOY....

Ingredients: ( Serves - 9~10)

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups( 400gms)
Yeast or Baking soda - 1tsp
Sugar - 1tsp
Salt - ½tsp or to taste
Yogurt - ½cup
Oil - 2tsp
Warm water - 4tbsp or as required to make a soft dough.

Method:

• Mix Maida, yeast or baking soda, Salt, Sugar together & Add oil to incorporate with flour.
• Add Yogurt and mix well, Then drizzle required warm water to the flour & knead  itfor 5 minutes to get soft elastic dough.
• Apply little oil over the dough & cover with damp cloth towel & let it rest for 1hour in warm place.( I rested my dough in Oven with lights ON, but in India we can rest it over kitchen counter top.)
• After an hour knead the dough once again & make 10 equal size balls. Meanwhile heat Oil in a kadai or pan.
• Dust rolling surface with the little flour & roll the batura to thick larger size circle then required size because due to elasticity dough tends to stretch back.
• Slowly drop baturas in hot oil as we do for pooris & gently press down with spatula to puffs it up.
• Gently flip to other side & remove once it turns to slight golden color & place it on paper towel to remove excess oil. Continue with rest of baturas.
• Serve hot with Chana masala.

.

Onion ( 110 grams ) /1 small (minced)  + little for garnishing
Tomato ( 350 grams ) / 2 big (minced)
Green chili - 2 ( slit into half) + little for garnishing
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - ½ tsp or to taste
chaat masala - ¼ tsp
Amchur / Dry Mango powder - ¼tsp
Chana masala - ½ tsp
Strong Tea decoction - ½ cup (optional, It will give unique flavor & chole masala)
Hing / Asafoetida - A pinch
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Cumin powder - A pinch
Salt - to taster
water - as required
Cilantro - for garnishing

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2tbsp
Cardamon - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1"
Fennel seed - ¼ tsp

Method:

• Soak chana for overnight or at least for 8 hours & pressure cook it.
• Heat oil in a pan, then add seasoning ingredients as listed.
• Add onion, green chili & saute it until it turns transparent.
• Add ginger garlic paste & stir it for a seconds then add tomatoes & saute till it become soft.
• When oil separates from tomato mixture add Red chili powder, Chat masala, chana masala, Dry mango powder, hing, turmeric powder, cumin powder, Salt & saute it for 5 minutes in low heat.
• When Oil starts to separates from the mixture add cooked chana & chana water, Mix well.
• Allow it to cook in low heat for 5 minutes & adjust salt and spice to taste. Add in water to adjust to get correct consistency.
• When mixture starts to boil add ½ cup decoction & mix well. ( you can skip this step if you are not using decoction & follow the step.)
• Stir in between & allow it to cook in low heat for another 10 minutes.
• Transfer to serving bowl & garnish with cilantro, minced onion & green chilies.
• Perfect combo with batura, rotis & parathas.