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Chole bhature

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Chole bhature
A bowl of chickpea curry on a plate with two large, puffy flatbreads.
TypeStreet food, fast food
CoursePrimarily breakfast
Place of originPunjab or eastern Uttar Pradesh
Region or stateIndian subcontinent
Associated cuisineNorth Indian cuisine, Punjabi cuisine
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsChana masala, bhature
Similar dishesDoubles (disputed)
  •   Media: Chole bhature

Chole bhature (Hindi pronunciation: [t͡ʃʰoː.leː bʱə.ʈuː.ɾeː]; also known as channa bhatura[1]) is a North Indian dish pairing chickpea curry with bhatura, a deep-fried flatbread. A common street food, chole bhature is often eaten as a breakfast dish. It is associated with Punjabi cuisine, though various views exist on the dish's origin. It is also popular in Delhi, where it was introduced after the partition of India. By the 2010s, it had become a popular fast food across India. The Indo-Trinidadian dish doubles is controversially said to be an adaptation of chole bhature.

Preparation and serving

Chole bhature is a combination of chole (chana masala, or chickpea curry) and bhatura, a deep-fried bread made from maida (refined wheat flour).[2][3] The chole is made by soaking white chickpeas before pressure 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 of chole include pindi chole, whose dark color results from ingredients such as amla or tea,[1] and the pahadi style, which is red.[6] Bhature is made of dough that is fermented[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 with lassi.[7] It may also be served at all times of day.[2] It is commonly served as a street food[3] and may be accompanied by onions, chutney, achaar, or lemon slices.[8][9]

History

Chickpea curry dates back to the cuisine of the Mughal Empire, possibly having spread along the empire's trade routes.[9][10] Chole bhature's place of origin is debated. According to BBC News's Justin Rowlatt, the dish originated in Punjabi cuisine, despite claims from other regions such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.[2] Food writer Kunal Vijaykar believes it originated in pre-partition Punjab and was based on the dish pindi chole, which is named for the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistani Punjab.[1] However, according to food scholar Charis Galanakis, it originated in eastern Uttar Pradesh.[3]

Kwality Restaurant was one of the first establishments in Delhi to serve chole bhature. (Pictured: franchise location in Kolkata)

Chole bhature spread to Delhi in the 1940s,[9] with differing claims over who introduced it. Peshori Lal Lamba, a native of Lahore, moved to Delhi after the 1947 partition of India and opened Kwality Restaurant in the Connaught Place neighbourhood.[10] A fine-dining establishment that also sold Anglo-Indian cuisine, it became primarily known for its chole bhature.[11] Some consider Lamba to be the first to have paired chole 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 a food cart. This later became the establishment Sita Ram Diwan Chand in the Paharganj 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 as tikki and dahi bhalla—became popular in Indian fast food, alongside the more popular South Indian cuisine.[14] As the dish gained popularity outside of India,[9] International Chole Bhature Day was created in 2012 by Delhi-based Facebook 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 the Indo-Trinidadian dish doubles, especially in the view of Indians, though this is disputed.[16] This hypothesis notes the similarity between chole bhature, when served as a wrap, 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]

Popularity

Chole bhature is a popular fast food[18] and breakfast food in North India.[19] Chole bhature is a popular dish for celebrations.[9] It is eaten during the Punjabi festival of Vaisakhi[20] and other Sikh 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 in Kamla 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 uses paneer in its bhature.[12] Among students of Delhi University, chole bhature has been known as C bats since around the 1970s.[9][15] Mumbai also has many chole bhature establishments, especially around the Sion neighbourhood.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Vijayakar, Kunal (16 November 2018). "I would pick a well-made Chole Bhature over filet mignon, says Kunal Vijayakar". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Rowlatt, Justin (2 July 2016). "The Indian street food bringing theatre to your plate". BBC News. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Galanakis 2020, p. 214.
  4. ^ a b Ananthanarayan et al. 2019, pp. 131, 157.
  5. ^ Falkowitz, Max (4 April 2018). "Naan, dosa and beyond: A beginner's guide to Indian breads". Mic. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  6. ^ a b Patnaik, Amit; Singh, Chowder (3 May 2019). "Fried and tested". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  7. ^ Tan, Alethea (21 August 2019). "Beginner's Guide to Indian Breads: 9 Types to Start With". Michelin Guide. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  8. ^ Galanakis 2020, p. 214; Ananthanarayan et al. 2019, p. 131.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Chole bhature!". The Statesman. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Panwar, Himakshi (23 August 2023). "The Many Legends Behind The Origin Of Chole Bhature". Outlook Traveller. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Awal, Vernika (3 April 2025). "Bengaluru to Delhi, a Culinary Odyssey". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  12. ^ a b Manmohan, Nutan (24 June 2023). "Sita Ram Diwan Chand, Paharganj's one-dish restaurant selling Lahori chole bhature since 1947". ThePrint. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  13. ^ Sreedharan, Das (30 January 2016). "Chole Bhature Sprinkled with Nostalgia". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  14. ^ Nandy 2004, p. 13.
  15. ^ a b Garg, Ruchika (3 October 2016). "Int'l Chhole Bhature Day: Divided by cultures, united by love for 'C Bats'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  16. ^ a b Jayaram 2022, p. 274.
  17. ^ Nacchia 2022, p. 227.
  18. ^ Kaushik, Narang & Parakh 2011, p. 98.
  19. ^ Kundu & Dutta 2020, p. 45.
  20. ^ Priya, Saxena & Tiwari 2024, p. 1104.
  21. ^ Bladholm 2000, p. 58.
  22. ^ Kundu & Dutta 2020, p. 48, 51.
  23. ^ Gupta, Roy & Promsivapallop 2021, pp. 491, 493.
  24. ^ Verma, Rahul (22 June 2019). "Mission Chholey Bhaturey!". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  25. ^ Basu, Aalokitaa (11 June 2025). "Chole bhature ranks among 'best breakfasts' in the world: Top Delhi-NCR reccos for a quick feast!". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  26. ^ Sinha 2015, p. 41.

Works cited

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