![Chole Puri on a plate with lemon slices](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.eatingwell.com/thmb/BFKxRmk1Julcr1ldWafGvzVChxk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chole-bhature-beauty1x1-921-f66fc717da044251be01feb1cd0dba3e.jpg)
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
One of Renu Anshie Dhar’s favorite recipes is Chole Puri. As a child growing up in Kashmir, India, it wasn’t something her mom cooked at home, but she gravitated toward it whenever she saw it on the menu at a halwai, a restaurant specializing in sweets and snack food. When she moved to Chandigarh in the Punjab region, she was happy to see the dish was a more common offering, particularly enjoyed on weekend mornings. When Dhar discovered that one of her neighbors loved it, too, she asked her to teach her how to make it. When she went home to Kashmir, Chole Puri was one of the first dishes she made for her mom, who was proud of Dhar for immersing herself in a new culture.
The dish is made of two components, chole, an aromatic chickpea curry, and puri, a type of puffy bread that’s used to soak up all of the sauce. Dhar calls the pairing a marriage: “Just chole without the puri is nothing, and just the puri without the chole is nothing—one can’t exist without the other for me at breakfast time.”
While puri are traditionally deep-fried, Dhar saw someone air-frying puri on Instagram and gave the method a try. She was pleasantly surprised at how well it works (plus it saves you the hassle of deep-frying!). Dhar says, “The puri is flaky on the outside and soft on the inside.” Plus, it keeps its shape longer and doesn’t deflate as quickly as a deep-fried one might.
Learning to make Chole Puri from her neighbor was the spark that started Dhar’s culinary journey—leading to her eventually becoming a recipe tester and developer in EatingWell’s food studios in Birmingham, Alabama, years later. Now whenever she’s feeling nostalgic about home and missing her mom, she simmers a pot of chole, filling her home with aromas of coriander, cumin, paprika and garam masala, and with memories of India.
![the ingredients to make the Chole Puri](https://www.eatingwell.com/thmb/Nh29rQxrwitUxujukmxbzHcLfpY=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chole-bhature-step-1-830-5724f70d59c94d2fa9d6977fb26cf5bc.jpg)
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
Ingredients
Puri
-
1 cup whole-wheat flour
-
1 teaspoon baking powder
-
1/2 cup whole-milk plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt
-
2 tablespoons water, as needed
-
2 teaspoons ghee, melted
Chole
-
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas, undrained
-
2 cups water, divided
-
1 English tea bag
-
2 tablespoons ghee
-
1 large white onion, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
-
3/4 teaspoon salt
-
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, plus thinly sliced ginger for garnish
-
2 teaspoons minced garlic
-
2 teaspoons ground coriander
-
2 teaspoons ground cumin
-
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
-
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
-
2 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
-
1/2 teaspoons garam masala
-
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Directions
-
To prepare puri: Stir flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Stir in yogurt until incorporated. (If there are dry flour streaks remaining, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and mix until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms.) Cover the dough with plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a work surface; knead until smooth and tacky to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and set aside in a warm place for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
-
Meanwhile, prepare chole: Place chickpeas, chickpea liquid from cans and 1 3/4 cups water in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add tea bag and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until the chickpeas slightly darken in color and the liquid reduces slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bag.
-
While the chickpeas are simmering, heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is aromatic and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water; stir vigorously, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add coriander, cumin, paprika and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; cook, stirring often and crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, until soft and jammy, about 5 minutes.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
-
Transfer the onion mixture to the Dutch oven with the chickpeas; stir in cilantro and garam masala. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chole is reduced and looks glossy, about 5 minutes.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
-
Meanwhile, cook the puris: Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 portions (about 1 ounce each). Using your hands, roll each portion into a smooth ball. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a 5-inch round; place on the prepared baking sheet; cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap. Working with 1 dough round at a time, place in the basket of the preheated air fryer; cook until golden brown and puffed, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate; brush lightly with ghee while still warm. Repeat the process with the remaining dough rounds.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
-
Garnish the chole with ginger slices, if desired. Serve hot with the puris and with lemon wedges, if desired.
Equipment
Air fryer
EatingWell.com, July 2024
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
440 | Calories |
14g | Fat |
64g | Carbs |
19g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
Serving Size 1 cup chole & 2 puris | |
Calories 440 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Carbohydrate 64g | 23% |
Dietary Fiber 14g | 51% |
Total Sugars 10g | |
Protein 19g | 37% |
Total Fat 14g | 19% |
Saturated Fat 6g | 32% |
Cholesterol 26mg | 9% |
Vitamin A 100µg | |
Vitamin C 10mg | 11% |
Vitamin D 0µg | |
Vitamin E 1mg | 8% |
Folate 238µg | |
Vitamin K 12µg | |
Sodium 549mg | 24% |
Calcium 205mg | 16% |
Iron 6mg | 33% |
Magnesium 122mg | 29% |
Potassium 714mg | 15% |
Zinc 3mg | 28% |
Vitamin B12 0µg | |
Omega 3 0g |
Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.
* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.