Ok so there are like 5 things I crave whenever I come back to NY: pizza, bagels, falafel sandwiches, deli sandwiches and this amazing chana bhatura. I was actually about to say 3 things and then I realized it’s 5…
But of all of those things, this is the one that I think about the most because I only know one restaurant in all of NYC that makes it the way that I like. And so every time I’m back I have anxiety about whether Pongal is still around, whether the server that’s been there for 20+ years is still there, and whether they still make this dish the way I like it.
It seems pretty simple. You can get chana masala at any Indian restaurant. But this chana is prepared with a bit more tomato and sprinkled with lemon juice so it’s more tangy. I call it Bombay style chana because it reminds of me of Bombay. And bhatura is basically a giant fried bread. Sometimes it’s made using yogurt so you’ve gotta ask, but at Pongal they don’t use yogurt in the bread. Eaten together, with onions and chilis, this stuff is heaven.
If you’re in NY check out #pongal in #curryhill and let me know if you get the #chanabhatura!
Btw Pongal is 100% vegetarian and #kosher!
Channa Bhatura 
