Ranjani's: Poori Chole - Fluffy Whole wheat bread and Garabanzo simmered with spices.

If Mom made poori's for breakfast I would be awake by 6 a.m sitting on the kitchen table watching her doing small round poori's. The hot fluffy poories would fly on my plate which would dip in with freshly made aloo bajji and I swooshed a dozen of them keeping the Richshaw man waiting at the door. I remember my mom chiding me to finish and get the richshaw before he goes away. On the way to school I would rave about my morning breakfast experience to friends.These were the early memories of Poori and Bajji.

Slowly when I joined hotel school and had friends from different parts of India Poori Chole became a kings feast for us once a week when my friends used to do their version at our Kottur house.

Chole and Bature a close cousin of the poori used to be my favorite breakfast when I used to work in Delhi. Early foggy morning in November through early March, I would wait for the street side vendor to pull his cart(redi)and set up his stall with his big Kadai with oil and lite his wood fired stove. I used to huddle close to the fire to keep warm. While he used to meticulously set up his plates, katori's (bowls),spoons and Heating up a handi of fragrant chole . Mean while chopping fresh red onions with a thin blade on a tiny wooden log which has a slant through years of use,with perfect dexterity. Tiny lime wedges, freshly chopped cilantro cubes of butter was arrange on a little counter on the cart.

He would pray for good business and starts to roll his bature with a wooden rolling pin on a plank and kept it covered in a polythene cover. He would then check the oil with a little drop of water sprinkled on it when it crackles he starts to swirl in the first bature which is fluffed up by sprinkling the oil on to in quick motion to fluff it up turns it around with in a couple of minutes and the first Fluffy bature is laid to drip and He assembles a plate with a katori on top with a pipping hot ladle of chole topped up with chopped onion, cilantro and a tiny wedge of lime golden bature. Makhan or butter on request for a rupee more. The whole plate used to cost rupees five and that used to see me through till 4pm chai(tea) time, now its your time to savor this fluffy and creamy goodness.

Chole

dried garbanzo beans- 150g (soaked overnite)
green chili- 2 nos
turmeric powder- 2 tsp
salt- to taste
vegetable oil- 4 tbsp
bayleaf- 2 nos crushed
cassia or cinnamon- 1 pc
ginger- 50g(chopped)
garlic- 5 pods (chopped)
Cardamom- 3 pods
ajwain (bishop seeds)-1 tsp
green chili- 3 nos (chopped)
red onions- 450g (small dice)
tomato- 200g (small dice)
yogurt- 150ml
kashmiri chili powder(Degi mirch)-1 tbsp
turmeric powder- 1 tsp
corriander powder- 3 tbsp
fennel powder- 1 tbsp
channa masala-2 tbsp
kasoori methi(dried fenu greek leaves)- 1tbp
Cilantro- 1 bunch (chopped)
Butter Cubes- 3 pcs 10 g each

Method

1. Pressure cook the soaked garbanzo bean with salt, turmeric and a couple of slit green chili.If you boil boil it till soft.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add whole cardamom,cinnamon, bay leaf and allow it to crackle.(the heat should be gentle while the spice is allowed to bloom), continue adding the ajwain (bishop seeds) and stir.

3. Add the chopped garlic,ginger and green chili and cook till golden brown.

4. Add onions and cook till golden brown then add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.

5. Whisk yogurt in a bowl and add the turmeric, kashmiri chili, coriander, fennel and channa masala powders into it. Add a cup of water to achieve a smooth flow and pour the mixture into the pan and allow it to simmer along with the softened onion and tomatoes for 10 to 15 mintues. Keep it covered and open the lid slowly and keep stirring.

6. Add the boiled garbanzo bean and cook for atleast an hour till the raw flavor of the spices fades and there is a waft of mellow fragrant air in the kitchen.
7.Check for seasoning and finish with kasoori methi and generously chopped fresh cilantro.

8.serve hot in a bowl with a lobe of butter, freshly slice onion rings and a wedge of lime.

Poori

Whole wheat flour(atta)- 300g
salt- to taste
vegetable oil- 1 tbsp
water- 15- to 170 ml (enough to form a stiff dough)
vegetable or sunflower oil- 1 liter (for deep frying)

Method
1.Measure the flour and add salt, vegetable oil and sprinkle water and start forming the dough. keep adding water until a stiff dough is formed. knead for 15 to 20 minutes using your knuckles, feel the dough getting soft.Cover with a wet towel.

2. Rest for 10 minutes and knead again and form into a long tube. Cut the dough into 50 g pieces and roll it round between your palms.

3.Dip the shaped dough into flour and roll it into thin discs and arrange it in a tray lais with parchments. Keep covered to avoid drying.

4. Heat oil on a medium flame its should reach a gentle smoking point. Try one poori it will sink and come up.

5. Splash oil gently on top to fluff up the poori and trun quickly and cook the other side and place the fluffy pooris on a drian tray layered with paper towel.Make a few at a time and serve hot. Nothing like poking a fluffy poori for the magical steam to warm you.