Chole Bhature

Sort through the chickpeas and rinse them. Place them in a large pot, pour in 1.5 L cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 black tea bags and a cheesecloth bundle of cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and black peppercorns, remove from heat, cover with a lid and let steep for 1 hour — this quick-soak method will also give the chickpeas a dark color and infuse them with the spices' aroma.

Return the pot to the heat, bring to a boil and simmer covered over low heat for 50-60 minutes, until the chickpeas are fully tender (in a pressure cooker: 20 minutes under pressure plus 10 minutes natural release). Remove the cheesecloth spice bundle and tea bags, but keep the cooking liquid — you'll need it for the sauce.

While the chickpeas cook, make the bhature dough: in a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt, pour in the yogurt and 1 tbsp oil, and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Brush the dough with oil, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 45-50 minutes.

For the sauce, heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide pan, add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped onion (2) and cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until golden, then stir in the grated ginger and minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, ground chili pepper, turmeric and ground coriander, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the oil begins to separate from the mixture.

Transfer the cooked chickpeas along with 300 ml of the cooking liquid into the sauce, season with salt to taste, add garam masala, amchur and dried fenugreek leaves crumbled between your palms, and stir to combine. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15-20 minutes until thickened, lightly mashing some of the chickpeas with a spoon.

Melt the ghee in a small pan, add the green chilies split lengthwise and fry for 1-2 minutes until they start to sizzle. Pour the hot tempering over the chole and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Knead the bhature dough again, divide it into 8-10 balls and roll each one into an oval about 4-5 mm thick. Heat oil for deep-frying (about 500 ml) in a tall pot to 180°C, carefully lower in a bhatura and press it down to the bottom with a slotted spoon — it will start puffing up right away. Fry for 30-40 seconds on each side until golden brown, then transfer to a paper towel.

Thinly slice the remaining onion into rings. Serve the chole hot right away with hot bhature, onion rings and lemon wedges.