Ingredients:

For Chole (Chana masala):

• Chick peas (250 grams/8 oz, dry)
• Garlic (6-7, sliced)
• Cinnamon stick (1)
• Black cardamom (1-2)
• Green cardamom (1-2)
• Cloves (3-4)
• Peppercorns (3-4)
• Bay leaf (2-3)
• Black tea leaves (2 tablespoons)
• Onion (2 medium finely chopped or you could use onion paste)
• Ginger Garlic paste (1 tablespoon)
• Tomato puree (3-4 tomatoes)
• Green chilies (1-2; finely chopped)
• Ginger (1 inch; julienne)
• Coriander powder (1 tablespoon)
• Chili powder (1 tablespoon)
• Cumin powder (1 tablespoon)
• Garam masala (1 teaspoon)
• Kasuri methi (1 teaspoon; optional)
• Cilantro (chopped)
• Salt (to taste)

For Bathure (Fluffed flatbread):

• All purpose flour (2 cups)
• Baking powder (2 teaspoons)
• Baking soda (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (1 teaspoon)
• Sugar (1 teaspoon)
• Ghee (2 teaspoon)
• Yogurt (1/2 cup)
• Oil (for deep fry)

Directions:

Soak chickpeas for at least 5 hours or overnight (You could also use the canned chick peas).

In a pot, add 250 ml (8 oz) of water and bring it to boil. Add tea leaves and continue boiling for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Drain the water from the chickpeas and put it into a pressure cooker along with the sliced garlic, cinnamon stick, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves. Strain the tea into the pressure cooker. Add water to cover 2 inches above the chickpeas and add salt to taste.

Close the cooker lid and cook on medium flame for 2-3 whistles. Let the cooker depressurize by itself and only then open the lid. (if you do not have a pressure cooker just boil all the ingredients till the chickpeas have cooked all the way through and you can press down the chickpea with a fork)

In a pan, add ghee/oil and once hot add the onions, cook till they have browned. Add the ginger garlic paste and continue cooking for another minute till the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste goes away.

Add tomato puree and season with salt and cook till the ghee is released. Add the chopped green chilies and the ginger julienne, coriander powder, chili powder, cumin powder. Add a little water and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Add the cooked chickpeas into the pan and give it stir. Add hot water to adjust consistency as per your requirement and bring it to boil. Add garam masala, kasuri methi and chopped cilantro and give it a mix and set aside.

In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, ghee and yogurt and give it a mix with your hand and once all the ingredients have been combined then add water as required and knead it to a soft dough. Apply some oil to the dough and cover and leave it for rest for an hour.

Give the dough a quick knead and make round balls, then roll it out.

In a deep pan, add oil and heat it up. Once the oil is hot add the batura in to deep fry it. Using a spider skimmer or any spoon to push the batura down to fluff it up. Cook on both sides till they have a golden brown shade and then scoop it out.

This step is optional, in a small frying pan add a tablespoon of ghee and once hot add 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida powder and couple of whole chilies to make a ghee and hing tadka.

Serve the chole (chana masala) in a bowl and pour over the ghee and hing tadka along with bature and lemon wedges.