On the chhole trail: Local joints to sate your cravings for chhole bhature

Isnrsquot it a sweet moment of relatability when we realise that Bollywood celebrities share ordinary gastronomic concerns that can make us travel miles Hunting for onersquos comfort food mdash the kind that matches our memory of its taste and aroma mdash is no ordinary task A recent social media post by actorentrepreneur Anushka Sharma revealed that for years she had been looking for Delhi streetstyle chhole bhature for her cricketer husband Virat KohliVirat Kohli and Anushka Sharma Pic CourtesyInstagramHer search ended recently on finding the Chemburbased restaurant Delhi Se Sharma might have been able to bring joy to Kohli mdash whorsquos never guilty about a generous helping of the dish mdash but what about us Citybased chefs who can vouch for the good olrsquo taste list out joints that do justice to the dishTrick is in the waterVicky Ratnani chefIn the north the chana is spicy The curry is heavily flavoured with ginger These two features set chhole bhature apart from the version we widely get in the city We must always remember that the water in every city is different and water contributes to taste in a big way The last time I enjoyed my share of chhole bhature it was at Chawlarsquos in SionKoliwada They make these massive crunchy bhaturas that are spongy from the inside My fondest memory around the dish was forged some 35 years ago I used to gorge on the versions at Cream Centre in Marine Drive and Vig Refreshments in ChemburGolden puffy pillowsHimanshu Saini corporate chef TresindWhile it is absolutely fine to source the dish from citybased restaurants the key to acing the taste and zing you are craving is in your hands For instance using tea bags can help you get the deep brown or black colour that is typical of streetstyle chhole For added softness in your bhatura add yoghurt to the dough as natural fermentation facilitates a moist texture If you wish to make a really crisp crust use semolina in the dough Always fry the rolled out dough on high heat to make them puffy My personal favourites in Mumbai are the versions made by Chawlarsquos in SionKoliwada and Vig Refreshments inChembur CampWhen Amritsar beckonsSherry MehtakanakbysherryI really like the kind of chhole bhature that Gulatirsquos on Mahakali Caves Road makes It reminds me of the sights and sounds of Amritsari streets Their chhole is made to perfection and the bhaturas are exceptionally soft and fluffy Another place that I frequently visit or order from is Lashkara in Bandra They try to retain the streetstyle characteristic of Punjabi fare I also find their samosas delicious Itrsquos not just chhole bhature chhole kulche and other Delhispecific local snacks such as its vast variety of chaats are also hard to find in the city At our catering unit we make these dishes keeping that desi flavour intactChaijirsquos chhole bhatureIngredientsFor chholegtgt 2 cup Kabuli Chana gtgt 2 Tea bags gtgt 1 tbsp Red chili powdergtgt 1 tbsp Turmeric powdergtgt 1 tbsp Coriander powdergtgt 1 tbsp Jeera powder gtgt 1 tbsp Kashmiri mirch powder gtgt 12 tbsp Kasuri methi gtgt 2 tbsp Anardana powdergtgt A muslin cloth with whole spices like cloves 4 cinnamon 2 black cardamom 4 and black pepper 10 gm gtgt Rock salt according to taste gtgt 1 inch Ginger gtgt 3 cups of watergtgt 1 and a 12 tbsp Baking sodagtgt 2 tbsp Gheegtgt 56 Green chilli gtgt 10 gm Carom seedsFor the bhaturegtgt 1 cup Maida allpurpose flour gtgt Use suji rawagtgt 1 cup curd gtgt Salt to taste gtgt Cooking oilMethodFirstly drain and wash the chana thatrsquos been soaked overnight Take a pressure cooker and add the chana salt and tea powder bags Add some baking soda with the muslin cloth that has spices Cook over a medium flame and wait for whistles To make the dough for bhatura take a mediumsized bowl and add one cup of maida mixed with salt suji and curd Whisk this mixture well You should add some cooking oil to this mix Then pour in some water to make the dough soft and knead it Add more water and flour if needed and grease the dough once again with oil Let it sit for a few minutesNow for making chole heat ghee in a pan on low heat Add carom seeds split green chilli and ginger juliennes Fry for a few minutes and then add the chhole Before adding tadka add dhaniya powder roasted jeera powder kashmiri mirch powder kasuri methi and anardana powder to the cooked chole Cook for a few minutes before adding water Let it simmer for a few minutesFor hot bhaturas roll out the dough balls after greasing them with oil Now throw them into hot oil They will rise and puff up Flip it to the other side and let it turn golden brown Serve with chhole mango pickle and onionsThe Guidersquos top 6 picksgtgt Gurukripa SionCall 06003121380gtgt Pritam Da Dhaba Dadar EastCall 43449999gtgt Oye Kake FortCall 40027788gtgt Manjeet Chhole Puri SionCall 9892229896gtgt Amritsari Kulcha Junction Mahakali Caves RoadCall 28254811gtgt Papa Pancho da Dhaba BandraCall 2651873233