Chole Bathure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgmxulUH4tw

^-- Need to write up that.

Ingredients

Bouquet garni

• Black tea (2 tbs)
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 2 black cardamom
• 3 green cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 3-4 black peppercorns
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 3 bay leaves
• 6-7 cloves garlic

Chole

• 200g Chickpeas, soaked overnight with dried gooseberry
• 4tbsp oil
• 1tsp carom seeds
• 4 onions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
• 1-2 chopped green chillies
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp corriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp channa masala
• tin finely chopped tomatos and maybe some tomato paste for a bit extra punch.

Method

Chickpeas

Soak dry chickpeas in water overnight with some dried gooseberries if you have them.

Once soaked, create a bouquet garni with the ingredients and boil with 1/2 tsp baking soda for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 50 minutes or so until they're done.

The chickpeas should not be too well done otherwise they'll disintegrate later on.

Once done strain the chickpeas and set the collected cooking water aside.

Chole

Heat the oil in a heavy pan or wok over a medium flame. Once hot add the carom seeds and when they start to crackle add the onion and fry until nicely golden brown.

Then add the ginger/garlic paste and the chopped chillies. Cook until the onion is darker and the garlic/ginger is cooked.

Next turn the heat down to low and add the turmeric, chilli powder, corriander, cumin and channa masala. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Now add the tomatos and some salt if desired. Cook until the oil appears on top.

Add a ladle of the chickpea water and a similar amount of chickpeas and, using the back of a ladle, mush it all up to create a thick gravy.

Add the rest of the chickpeas and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Finally, add the rest of the chickpea water and cook until gravy has nicely reduced. Check and add more salt if required.

To temper, add a large pinch of channa masala, a pinch of roasted dried fenugreek leaves, 2-3 slit green chilles and some julien ginger strips, do not stir. Then heat some ghee in a seperate pan and pour over the chole. Stir the pan and garnish with fresh corriander.