Chole Bhature is not the same dish as Chana Masala. They use the same base ingredient — chickpeas — but the similarity ends there. Chana Masala is a quick, everyday, tomato-forward curry designed for weeknight dinners. Chole Bhature is a completely different beast: the chole is slow-simmered until dark brown (sometimes with tea bags for colour), deeply tangy with amchoor and pomegranate powder, aromatic with chole masala (a specific spice blend distinct from garam masala), and served with bhature — puffy, golden, deep-fried leavened bread that balloons in hot oil. Together, they form one of India's most spectacular meals — a plate of dark, glossy, aromatic chickpeas with two massive puffed bhature, a side of sliced onions, pickle, and a glass of cold lassi. It's a Sunday morning ritual across North India.
"Chole bhature recipe" is consistently one of the top-3 most searched Indian recipe terms globally, year after year. At Pick N Save, we stock every ingredient for both components — KTC and Fudco chickpeas (tinned and dried), MDH Chole Masala (the specific spice blend for dark, tangy chole — completely different from regular garam masala), Fudco Amchoor Powder (dried mango powder for tang), Fudco Anardana Powder (pomegranate seed powder for sour depth), yogurt for the bhature dough, and all the fresh produce. We also stock our own Chana Masala recipe for the quick version — but when you have time and want the real thing, this Chole Bhature is the one to make. Our Harrow customers have been buying MDH Chole Masala by the dozen for Sunday Chole Bhature since 1999.
Tinned (quick method): Drain and rinse 2 tins (800g total) of KTC Chickpeas 400g. Ready to use immediately.
Dried (traditional — requires overnight soak): Soak 250g of dried chickpeas (Fudco Chickpeas 1.5kg or Natco Chick Peas 500g) in plenty of water overnight (8–12 hours). Drain and pressure cook with 3 cups of fresh water, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tea bag (any black tea — Wagh Bakri Premium or Safari Pure Tea) tied in muslin or dropped directly into the water. The tea gives the chickpeas a dark brown colour that defines authentic chole — without it, the chole will be pale yellow. Pressure cook for 6–7 whistles until the chickpeas are completely soft but still hold their shape. Remove the tea bag. Reserve 1 cup of the dark cooking liquid.
Heat 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil (KTC Pure Sunflower Oil 5 Litres) in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds (Fudco Cumin Seeds 300g) and 1 bay leaf (TFS Bay Leaves 50g). When the cumin crackles, add 2 large onions finely diced (White Onions Prepack 4Kg). Cook for 6–7 minutes until deep golden-brown — darker than for most curries. The dark onion base is essential for the colour and depth of authentic chole.
Add 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste (Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g) and 2 green chillies slit lengthways (Indian Chilli 400g). Cook for 1 minute. Add 2 large tomatoes finely chopped (Fresh Vine Tomato 500g) or 200g of KTC Chopped Tomatoes. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the tomatoes completely break down and the oil separates at the edges.
This is where chole diverges from chana masala. Add 2 tablespoons of MDH Chole Masala (MDH Chunky Chat Masala 100g or MDH Chana Masala 100g — the specific chole blend containing pomegranate, amchoor, anardana, coriander, cumin, and black pepper in a ratio designed for dark, tangy chickpeas), 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder (TFS Kashmiri Mild Chilli Powder 100g), ½ teaspoon of turmeric (TFS Haldi Powder Rajapuri 100g), 1 teaspoon of amchoor / dried mango powder (TFS Amchoor Powder 100g — for sour tang), ½ teaspoon of anardana / pomegranate powder (Fudco Anardana Powder 100g — for deep, fruity sourness), and salt to taste. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the cooked chickpeas and 300ml of hot water (or the reserved dark cooking liquid from the dried method). Stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. During simmering, use the back of your spoon to crush 8–10 chickpeas against the side of the pot — this releases starch and thickens the gravy naturally, giving it the thick, clingy consistency that defines proper chole (the same technique from our Rajma recipe).
The chole is ready when the gravy is thick enough to coat the chickpeas but still pourable, dark brown in colour (not pale yellow), and the surface has a slight sheen from the oil separation. Add a generous knob of butter (Anchor Butter Salted 500g) and ½ teaspoon of garam masala (TFS Garam Masala 100g). Stir. Finish with 1 teaspoon of kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves (TFS Dried Fenugreek Leaves 100g) crushed between your palms.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups (250g) of plain flour (maida), 2 tablespoons of fine semolina (Fudco Semolina Coarse Yellow 1.5kg — the semolina adds crispness to the bhature), ½ teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of sugar, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil. Add 100g of thick natural yogurt (Desi Natural Yogurt 1kg — the yogurt adds tang and helps the dough ferment slightly, producing softer bhature). Gradually add 3–4 tablespoons of warm water and knead for 3 minutes until you have a soft, smooth, slightly elastic dough — softer than chapati dough, similar to naan dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 15–30 minutes. The longer the rest, the softer and puffier the bhature.
Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into an oval shape about 15cm long and 3–4mm thick — slightly thicker than a chapati but thinner than naan. Don't roll too thin or the bhature won't puff; don't roll too thick or the inside will be doughy.
Heat sunflower oil (KTC Pure Sunflower Oil 5 Litres) in a deep kadhai or pan — at least 6cm deep. Heat to 180°C. Gently slide one rolled bhatura into the hot oil. Within 5–10 seconds, it should begin to puff. Use a slotted spoon to gently press the surface of the bhatura and splash hot oil over the top — this encourages dramatic, balloon-like puffing. Once puffed and golden-brown on the bottom (about 30 seconds), flip and cook the other side for another 20–30 seconds. The entire frying process takes less than 1 minute per bhatura. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Serve immediately — bhature deflate and become chewy within 10–15 minutes of frying.
Ladle a generous portion of hot, dark chole into a bowl or onto a plate. Place 2 hot, puffy bhature alongside. Add the traditional accompaniments:
The correct way to eat: tear a piece of bhatura, scoop up a generous portion of dark chole, add a sliver of onion, and eat in one bite. Chase with a sip of cold lassi. This is the breakfast that built North India.
Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:
*RI = Reference Intake. Values are approximate. Per serving = 1 bowl chole + 2 bhature.
