Delhi Chole Bhature Recipe (Spiced Chickpeas with Fried Bread)

Name: Delhi Chole Bhature Recipe (Spiced Chickpeas with Fried Bread)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida); 2 tablespoons semolina (sooji); 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 2 tablespoons yogurt; 1 tablespoon oil; Salt, to taste; Water, as needed to knead; Oil, for deep frying; 1.5 cups kabuli chana (chickpeas), soaked overnight; 1 bay leaf, 2 black cardamom; 2 tablespoons oil or ghee; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste; 2 tomatoes, pureed; 1 teaspoon red chilli powder; 1 teaspoon coriander powder; 1 tablespoon chole masala; 1 teaspoon anardana (dried pomegranate) powder or amchur; Salt, to taste; Chopped coriander, to garnish

By RecipeKahani Kitchen· 11/7/2026Main Course

Chole bhature — spicy chickpea curry with fluffy deep-fried bread, a Delhi favourite

Puffed, golden fried bread served with a tangy, anardana-spiced chickpea curry — Delhi's favourite breakfast, built for a hungry Sunday morning.

Delhi's chole bhature is a lighter, breadier cousin of the Amritsari version — the bhature here is puffed and golden rather than stuffed, and the chole leans on anardana (dried pomegranate) rather than tea bags for its tang, a slightly different balance that marks it out as its own dish rather than a copy.

Getting the bhature to puff

A properly rested dough and very hot oil are what make a bhature balloon up rather than sit flat — the dough needs at least two hours to relax, and the oil needs to be hot enough that the dough puffs almost immediately on contact.

Serving

Serve hot, fresh off the oil, with the chole, pickled onions and a wedge of lemon.

Common mistakes to avoid

Not soaking the chickpeas long enough — undercooked, firm chole never fully absorb the spices. A full overnight soak is non-negotiable.
Skipping the souring agent (tea bag, dried anardana, or amchur) — it's what gives Delhi-style chole their distinctive tang and dark colour.
Frying the bhature dough right after kneading — it needs at least 2-3 hours of resting to puff up properly. Fried too soon, it stays flat and dense.

Storage and reheating

Chole keeps 3-4 days refrigerated and freezes well. Bhature dough can be refrigerated for up to a day but is best fried fresh; cooked bhature don't reheat well — they turn chewy, so they're best eaten the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my bhature puff up like in restaurants?
Usually under-rested dough, oil that isn't hot enough, or rolling too thin or thick. The dough needs time to relax, the oil should be hot enough that it puffs immediately on contact, and the thickness should be even.

Can I make chole without the tea bag trick?
Yes — the tea bag is purely for colour, not essential to the flavour. Skip it for a lighter-coloured but equally tasty chole, or add extra amchur for tang.

Is chole bhature very heavy?
The deep-fried bhature is the indulgent part — pair the same chole with roti or rice instead for a lighter, still delicious, everyday version.

Watch how it's made

Watch the full method step by step in the video below.

Method

Make the bhature dough. Mix the flour, semolina, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the yogurt and oil, then knead into a soft dough with water as needed. Cover and rest for at least 2 hours.
Cook the chole. Pressure-cook the soaked chickpeas with the whole spices and salt for 6-7 whistles, until soft.
Make the gravy. Heat the oil, cook the onion until golden, add the ginger-garlic paste, then the tomato puree and spice powders, cooking until the oil separates. Add the cooked chickpeas with their liquid and simmer 15-20 minutes, mashing a few against the pan. Stir in the anardana powder and adjust salt.
Roll and fry the bhature. Divide the dough into balls and roll each into an oval. Deep-fry in hot oil, pressing gently with a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden on both sides.
Serve. Serve the hot bhature with the chole, pickled onions and lemon wedges.