The North Indian street food pairing spicy chickpea curry with deep-fried leavened bread is chole bhature.
Chole bhature combines chole, a spiced chickpea curry, with bhatura, a large puffed bread made from refined wheat flour. The chickpeas are commonly cooked with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, chilies, and spices, producing a thick curry. Bhatura dough is fermented or leavened, rolled out, and deep-fried, causing it to inflate into a soft, airy bread with a crisp surface.
The dish is strongly associated with Punjabi cuisine and is especially popular in Delhi and northern India. It is commonly eaten for breakfast or lunch and served with sliced onions, chutney, pickle, lemon, or lassi. Its origin is debated, with claims linking it to Punjab, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and other northern regions.
Chole bhature should not be confused with aloo paratha, which is a stuffed griddle-cooked flatbread, or pav bhaji, which pairs spiced vegetables with soft bread rolls. The combination of chickpea curry and bhatura is the key identifier.