Choleh bhature ‘naan’
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Choleh bhature ‘naan’

By Katie Hiscock

Enjoy a tasty Punjabi dish of spiced chickpeas served with bhature – here they are dry-fried making it more of a naan, and paired with raita and a kachumber salad

  • Prep:40 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 20 mins
    plus rising
  • Serves 8
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 954
  • fat 27g
  • saturates 5g
  • carbs 139g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 15g
  • protein 31g
  • salt 3.39g

Ingredients

  • ¼ cucumber, diced
  • 3 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 2 tsp mint sauce
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 175g cucumber, grated
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 500ml natural yogurt
  • 500ml milk
  • 10g coriander, finely chopped
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • 4 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • 4 green chillies, finely chopped
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp methi (dried fenugreek)
  • 4 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • handful of coriander, chopped, to serve
  • 1kg self-raising flour
  • 250ml natural yogurt
  • 2 tbsp powdered potato (Smash or alternative)
  • 100ml flavourless oil, plus a little extra
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ajwain
  • 50g salted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)

Method

  1. To make the kachumber salad, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

  2. To make the raita, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. When you're ready to serve, add 1 tsp salt if required and mix well (if you add the salt before this, it will draw out the water, so only add it just before serving).

  3. To make the choleh, heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions and cook for 8-10 mins over a low-medium heat, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies, and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Add a splash of water to the pan if the mixture sticks to the bottom. Add the tomatoes and another splash of water, continue to cook for 5-10 mins until the onions and tomatoes are well combined. Add 2 tsp salt and the spices, and cook for 10 mins more until the mixture is well incorporated, and the oil separates. Add some more water if needed to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  4. Tip in the chickpeas, and 500ml water. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Once they're softened, using a potato masher, mash the chickpeas until they're partially broken up (this helps to thicken the sauce), and then simmer for another 10 minutes. Scatter with the coriander, to serve.

  5. To make the bhature, mix all the ingredients with a metal spoon in a large bowl, until it forms a shaggy dough. Oil a large bowl and your hand with some flavourless oil. Then, knead until the dough is springy and well combined. If the dough seems dry, add more warm water as you go. Smear some oil on the surface of the dough, transfer to the oiled bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Leave to rest for 2-3 hours.

  6. Meanwhile, if making the butter, melt the butter in a small pan and add the garlic. Fry until aromatic, add the chopped coriander and nigella seeds, and set aside until needed.

  7. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Take one piece of dough, roll into a ball and, using a rolling pin, roll until it’s around 1cm in thickness and oval shape. Heat a dry frying pan/thava until it's hot and drop the dough on. Bubbles will rise on the surface after a minute or so. Turn it over and cook on the other side for 2 mins. Spread some of the butter on top and serve with all of the accompaniments.

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