A little spice

So, for some strange reason, I suddenly began craving Delhi-style choley -- aka chickpeas or garbanzo beans --  with kulchas a leavened flatbread.  

Luckily I had a large can of beans in my pantry and made the choley in no time, it was waiting for the kulcha dough to rise a bit that was harder. Nonetheless the wait was worth it. And the best thing, both DDs loved it. Phew. 

Spicy choley

1 28 oz can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup plus 1 tbsp yellow or white onion chopped finely

2 green chile such as a jalapeno or serrano, deseeded and sliced thinly

5 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 tbsp vegetable oil (such as Canola)

1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)

1/2 tsp or less cayenne powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder) optional

1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala (available in indian stores, substitute below)

3 tbsp cilantro chopped

First, combine 1 tbsp of the chopped onions, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 chopped green chile and 1/2 the ginger and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. the mixture will likely turn pink. That's OK! This will give an added layer of flavor to the beans, a trick I picked up from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking.

In a saucepan or saute pan, heat the oil and add the chile, shake a bit and add the onions, cook on medium-low heat until soft and brown on the edges. Add the tomatoes and remaining ginger cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are mushy, add the turmeric, coriander and cayenne and cook for another 3 minutes, then add the drained garbanzo beans and 1/ cup water and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about five minutes. Now add the amchur if using and the garam masala and lemon juice. Let the flavors meld for a minute or so, check and adjust seasoning to taste and then stir in half the cilantro and half the onion relish. Remove to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining cilantro and relish. Serve hot. You can eat it plain, with rice or any bread. Truly versatile. And it tastes even better the next day.

Kulchas

1 cup chapati flour (sold as Aata, durum wheat in indian stores, or substitute white wholewheat)

1 cup unbleached AP flour

1/2 tsp active yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1/3 cup yogurt

2 tbsp soft butter for brushing

Stir in the sugar and yeast into the warm water in a large bowl and let it rest 5 minutes. When bubbling add the flours and then stir in the yogurt. The flour should come together in a rough dough, add a little water to get a soft pliable dough, knead five or six times. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours, till it increases by half. Knead the dough and divide it into about 10-12 balls. Heat a frying pan or flat griddle, cast iron is great. Keep it on medium heat. Working one by one, roll out a ball to about 6 inch diameter and place on the hot griddle.

Flip within 30 seconds (as soon as you see the color change), when you start seeing bubbles of air, flip it again and use a small dishcloth to push on the kulcha to make it puff up. Brush both sides with butter and remove to a plate or other container. repeat 11 times!

I'm no expert, but I do try to roll out another kulcha after doing the first flip on the preceding kulcha. But be careful, you don't want them to burn.

Once you're done, wrap it in foil or place in an insulated dish to keep warm. You can freeze them while still warm and just heat on a griddle.