 | |
| Type | Street food,fast food |
|---|---|
| Course | Primarilybreakfast |
| Place of origin | Punjab or easternUttar Pradesh |
| Region or state | Indian subcontinent |
| Associatedcuisine | North Indian cuisine,Punjabi cuisine |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Chana masala,bhature |
| Similar dishes | Doubles (disputed) |
Chole bhature (Hindi pronunciation:[t͡ʃʰoː.leːbʱə.ʈuː.ɾeː]; also known aschanna bhatura[1]) is aNorth Indian dish pairingchickpea curry withbhatura, a deep-fried flatbread. A commonstreet food, chole bhature is often eaten as a breakfast dish. It is associated withPunjabi cuisine, though various views exist on the dish's origin. It is also popular in Delhi, where it was introduced after thepartition of India. By the 2010s, it became a popularfast food across India. TheIndo-Trinidadian dishdoubles is controversially said to be an adaptation of chole bhature.
Chole bhature is a combination ofchole (chana masala, or chickpeacurry) andbhatura, a deep-fried bread made frommaida (refined wheat flour).[2][3] Thechole is made by soakingwhite chickpeas beforepressure cooking them in a gravy of tomatoes, onions, and spices, with a thick consistency.[4]Chole differs from typical chana masala as it does not use tomatoes.[5] Styles ofchole includepindi chole, whose dark color results from ingredients such asamla or tea,[1] and thepahadi style, which is red.[6] Bhature is made of dough that isfermented[4] before being rolled and fried, which causes it to quickly puff up before turning crispy and golden brown. The dish is served hot.[2]
Chole bhature is primarily a breakfast dish,[3] sometimes accompanied withlassi.[7] It may also be served at all times of day.[2] It is commonly served as astreet food[3] and may be accompanied by onions,chutney,achaar, or lemon slices.[8][9]
Chickpea curry dates back to thecuisine of the Mughal Empire, possibly having spread along the empire's trade routes.[9][10] Chole bhature's place of origin is debated. According toBBC News'sJustin Rowlatt, the dish originated inPunjabi cuisine, despite claims from other regions such asUttar Pradesh,Rajasthan andHimachal Pradesh.[2] Food writerKunal Vijaykar believes it originated inpre-partition Punjab and was based on the dishpindi chole, which is named for the city ofRawalpindi, Pakistani Punjab.[1] However, according to food scholarCharis Galanakis, it originated in eastern Uttar Pradesh.[3]
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Chole bhature spread to Delhi in the 1940s,[9] with differing claims over who introduced it. Peshori Lal Lamba, a native ofLahore, moved to Delhi after the 1947partition of India and openedKwality Restaurant in theConnaught Place neighbourhood.[10] A fine-dining establishment that also soldAnglo-Indian cuisine, it became primarily known for its chole bhature.[11] Some consider Lamba to be the first to have pairedchole with bhature. It is also widely believed that the dish was introduced to the city by Sita Ram,[10] who also migrated from Lahore around this time. He migrated to Delhi with his son, Diwan Chand, and began selling chole bhature, a dish that had been popular in his hometown, from afood cart. This later became the establishmentSita Ram Diwan Chand in thePaharganj neighbourhood.[11][12]
Beginning around the 1990s, the dish spread beyond North India to the rest of the country, becoming a typical dish at vegetarian establishments by the 2010s.[13] It and other Punjabi dishes—such astikki anddahi bhalla—became popular inIndian fast food, alongside the more popularSouth Indian cuisine.[14] As the dish gained popularity outside of India,[9] International Chole Bhature Day was created in 2012 by Delhi-basedFacebook user Shashank Aggarwal, along with Anuradha Gupta. They chose the date of 2 October as it coincided with an existing public holiday,Gandhi Jayanti.[15]
Chole bhature is often said to be the origin of theIndo-Trinidadian dishdoubles, especially in the view of Indians, though this is disputed.[16] This hypothesis notes the similarity between chole bhature, when served as awrap, and doubles. However, many people consider doubles to have uniquely originated in Trinidad and Tobago.[17] Badru Deen, a member of the family credited with the invention of doubles, wrote that the two dishes are very different; sociologist N. Jayaram supports this opinion.[16]
Chole bhature is a popularfast food[18] and breakfast food inNorth India.[19] Chole bhature is a popular dish for celebrations.[9] It is eaten during the Punjabi festival ofVaisakhi[20] and otherSikh festivals.[21]
In Delhi, chole bhature is a traditional street food[22] that is recognised by tourists.[23] The city has many establishments known for the dish, and residents widely debate which is best.[24][25] In addition to Kwality Restaurant and Sita Ram Diwan Chand,[11] these include Chache Di Hatti inKamla Nagar, which receives very long lines during its short opening hours.[6][26] Chole bhature is the only dish served at Sita Ram Diwan Chand, which usespaneer in its bhature.[12] Among students ofDelhi University, chole bhature has been known asC bats since around the 1970s.[9][15] Mumbai also has many chole bhature establishments, especially around theSion neighbourhood.[1]
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