When the weather turns cool or the rain sets in, nothing hits quite like a plate of hot, spicy chole kulche. This popular North Indian street food pairs tangy spiced chickpeas with soft, pillowy bread and works just as well for breakfast, lunch or an evening snack. Skip the trip to the market stall and recreate that same street side flavour right in your own kitchen with this recipe.
Getting that deep colour and flavour into the chickpeas
The real character of chole kulche comes from the way the chickpeas are cooked. Start by soaking the kabuli chana in water overnight. The next day, transfer the soaked chickpeas into a pressure cooker along with 2 tea bags or 1 teaspoon of tea leaves tied up in a small cloth pouch. Add a little salt and pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles. The tea leaves are what give the chickpeas their signature dark, appetising colour, the kind usually seen only at street stalls.
Building the masala the right way
Once the chickpeas are boiled, it is time to prepare the masala. Heat oil in a kadhai and let cumin seeds crackle in it. Add onions and fry them until golden brown. Once the onions are done, stir in ginger garlic paste and green chillies and cook for about 2 minutes so the raw smell disappears completely. Next, add tomato puree and cook until the oil begins to separate from the masala. Mix in turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, chole masala and salt, stirring everything together thoroughly.
Add the boiled chickpeas into this prepared masala, pour in a little water and let it simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes so the flavours soak in properly. Finish it off with a sprinkle of garam masala and a garnish of fresh coriander leaves.
Kneading and proofing the kulche dough
To make the kulche, combine maida, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add curd and oil and knead it into a smooth dough, adding a little lukewarm water if the dough feels too stiff. Once kneaded, cover the dough and set it aside for 2 to 3 hours to let it rise properly, which is what makes the kulche soft. After the resting time, shape the dough into small balls and roll them out. Anyone looking to add extra flavour and a nicer look can sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves or kalonji seeds on top while rolling.
Cooking the kulche and serving it up
Heat a tawa and cook the rolled kulche on both sides until they turn golden brown. Once cooked, spread a little butter on top for extra richness. Serve the hot kulche alongside the spicy chole. For an extra kick, top the dish with finely chopped onion, green chillies, a squeeze of lemon and a dash of chaat masala.
Handy tips for extra taste and softness
To deepen the flavour of the chole even further, add a bay leaf and a piece of cinnamon stick to the water while boiling the chickpeas. For softer kulche, mix a little milk into the dough while kneading. And if there is not enough time to make kulche from scratch, ready-made kulche bought from the market work just as well without making much difference to the final taste.
