Chole bhature

Chole-bhature is a North Indian dish pairing a spiced chickpea curry (chole or chana masala) with bhatura, a deep-fried leavened flatbread made from maida (refined wheat flour), yogurt, and a little baking soda. The combination is a classic Punjabi breakfast or lunch, often served with sliced onions, green chilies, and a wedge of lemon. The contrast of the fluffy, slightly sour, oily bread with the warm, earthy chickpea curry is the appeal.

Chickpea curries of this style have Mughal-era roots, with similar dishes found across North India, Pakistan, and the diaspora. The combination with bhatura, which originated in Punjab, gave the dish its modern identity, and it is now a fixture of street food stalls, dhabas, and family kitchens across the region. In Delhi and surrounding states, chole-bhature is a popular weekend breakfast, often served in large portions at roadside eateries that specialize in it.

The chickpea curry is flavored with a base of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and a warming blend of spices that typically includes cumin, coriander, amchur (dried mango powder), garam masala, and sometimes anardana (dried pomegranate seeds). The chickpeas are usually cooked until very soft, so the gravy is thick and rich. Bhatura, by contrast, is quick to make — the dough is allowed to rise briefly, then shaped into small ovals and deep-fried until puffed and blistered. The combination is a popular celebratory dish, often served at weddings, festivals, and Sunday family meals across the Punjab and Delhi.

[Source: Wikipedia — Chole bhature, accessed 2026-10-17, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chole_bhature]