My Not-so-American Pie! 

Layered Chhole Pie with a Waffle Fries Crust

What’s your comfort food like? Are you a mac and cheese kind of a guy or that greasy slice of pizza sort of a person? Grilled cheese, milk shake, wada pao, donuts, biryani, falafel or a giant piece of chocolate cake kinda girl? 

I suffer from some extreme bouts of food addictions from time to time. Over the years, my friends and family have caught me either drinking a bottle of salsa straight up (neat, no rocks), or found me snacking on a jar of pickled okra and wondering if I’m knocked up (answer is no), or seen me mix my chai & coffee on the days I can’t decide which one I rather have or then heard me confessing about my kimchi obsession. These addictions, obnoxious as they may sound, end up comforting me in a very strange sort of a way! 

Back at home in Bombay (not Mumbai), whenever I think of comfort food, I think of chaat (or maa ke haath ka khana) but mostly chaat that my mom makes! But unfortunately I’m not planning on visiting her for a while now, so I tried putting a few of my favorite sinful foods together and made a giant delicious savory & spicy pie fully loaded with my kind of comfort! Want some?

Ingredients for Chhole Pie 

• 1/2 Bag of frozen waffle fries for the crust 
• Chhole: 2 cups * 
• Pickled onions: 1 cup** 
• Tomato: 1 small, chopped 
• Romaine lettuce: 1/2 bunch, torn into tiny chunks
• Yogurt : 1/2 cup, lightly beaten and sweetened with sugar. (according to taste, think dahi poori) 
• Grated cheese: 1/2 cup (I used cheddar, but use whatever you prefer)
• Bhel mix: 1 cup (for garnish & crunch) 

* My Instant chhole Recipe : In a saucepan, heat a tbsp of oil/ghee and fry a pinch of cumin seeds. Saute 1 finely chopped onion. Once it turns golden brown, add 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste. Then add 2 chopped tomatoes. Add salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder, 1 tbsp chhole masala, 4 to 5 tbsp powdered roasted pomegranate seeds. Cook this down to a paste. Add 1 can chickpeas (washed & drained). Add about 1/2 cup water and let it simmer. Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Cook for about 5 minutes till it’s thick and semi-dry. 

(You could easily swap this for the packaged chhole available in most grocery stores.)

** Pickled onions: Slice 1 small white onion. Add salt, 1 tbsp paprika and 2 tbsp vinegar. Mix and let it sit for at least 4 hours. 



Preparation for the Chhole Pie 

(👆🏼Don’t forget to check out the picture trail)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a greased pie dish or skillet, arrange the frozen waffle fries in a single layer forming a crust. Bake for about 20-22 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven and layer with the prepared chhole, pickled onions, tomatoes, lettuce, yogurt, cheese and then finally top it with the bhel mix. 
3. Bake again in the oven for about 7-10 minutes until the cheese melts and the pie is warmed through.  
4. Pig out!! 

Some of the products I used 👇🏼

https://www.alexiafoods.com/products/potatoes/waffle-fries

https://www.organicvalley.coop/products/cheese/shredded/shredded-mild-cheddar-6-oz/

http://usa.fage/yogurts/fage-total-plain

http://m.wholefoodsmarket.com

https://www.goya.com/en/products/beans-and-other-grains

https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/herbs-and-spices/spices

http://www.mortonsalt.com/home-category/culinary-salts/?gclid=COfLgJ-npdQCFVpMDQod0PwELA

https://www.dominosugar.com