Bhatura – How to make Bhatura
Feb 22, 2018, Updated Apr 26, 2018
Step by step instructions on how to make Bhatura, the popular puffed deep fried Indian bread!
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Popular puffed Indian deep fried bread, bhatura is best enjoyed with chole (spiced chickpea curry). Chole Bhature is one of North India’s most popular dish!
People often ask me what is your favorite dish? That’s pretty tough to answer, isn’t it? As a foodie, I like so many things from different cuisines so its hard to pick a favorite. But if you ask the same question to Sarvesh, he will have a definite answer – Chole Bhature.
For those who don’t know chole is chickpea curry where chickpeas are cooked with lots of spices, onion and tomatoes and bhatura is the puffed deep fried bread.
They are served together with sliced onions, pickles and is a very popular north-Indian dish. It’s also very common on the streets of Delhi.
However Sarvesh is very specific about the type of chole bhature he likes, only homemade! I think he finds the restaurant bhature too oily and so prefer homemade.
Since bhatura is deep-fried, I don’t really make it often at home. I think I have mentioned it several times here that I am not very fond of deep-frying food. More than the calories, I just find it stressful and so I do it when absolutely essential.
Since Sarvesh likes only homemade bhatura, I treat him to it once or twice a year.
I made this chole bature for new years actually but didn’t get the time to share the recipe. Now with Holi just around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to share this recipe.
At my place, we often ate chole bhature for our lunch on Holi. It was like a family tradition. My house help in India makes really amazing bhature and so we never missed the opportunity to gulp down few plates on festivals!
How to Make Bhatura – Tips to make Good Bhatura at Home
Bhatura dough is made with plain flour, you may add semolina to it to make it little crispier. The recipe I am sharing today has added yogurt, baking powder and oil too. Here are few things to keep in mind while making bhatura at home.
✓ the dough for the bhatura needs to be kneaded well. important. I kneaded the dough in my stand mixer for 5 to 6 minutes.
✓ it’s also important for the dough to rest a little before you make the bhaturas. I suggest to rest the dough for minimum of 1 hour before frying the bhaturas.
✓ when you fry the bhatura, make sure the oil is sufficiently hot else the bhatura wont puff up and absorb a lot of oil.
✓ for softer bhaturas, knead the dough with milk.
I have seen people getting little intimidated by bhatura but honestly it’s pretty easy and straight forward. In case you have difficulty in rolling the dough, just let it rest a little and then try to roll again.
These yummy bhaturas are best enjoyed with chole/chana masala, it’s like you can’t enjoy them with anything else. They are meant for each other!
Method
In a late bowl whisk together flour/maida with semolina/sooji, sugar and salt. Add baking powder, 2 pinches of baking soda and mix well.
Then add oil and rub it into the flour mix with your hands.
Add yogurt and mix.
Add milk, little at a time to knead the dough.
Use a stand mixer to knead well for 5-6 minutes or knead for 10 minutes with your hands until smooth dough is formed. Apply little oil on top of the dough, cover it with a damp cloth and then keep in a warm place for at least 1 hour.
After 1 hour, divide dough into 7 to 8 equal parts, let the dough balls rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai on medium-high heat. Oil should be sufficiently hot, if you drop a piece of dough into the oil it should come up briskly. That’s when the oil is ready to fry the bhatura. Roll each dough into circle or oval shape, it should neither be too thick nor thin.
Add the rolled bhatura to hot oil and press gently with a ladle, until it starts to puff.
Fry both the sides until brown.
Transfer to tissue paper to drain oil. Serve bhatura with chole!
How to make Bhatura
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour 260 grams, also known as maida
- 1.5 tablespoons semolina also known as sooji
- 1.5 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 pinch baking soda
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 3-4 tablespoons milk as needed to knead the dough
- oil for deep frying use vegetable or canola
Instructions
- In a late bowl whisk together flour/maida with semolina/sooji, sugar and salt. Add baking powder, 2 pinches of baking soda and mix well.
- Then add oil and rub it into the flour mix with your hands.
- Add yogurt and mix. Then add milk, little at a time to knead the dough.
- Use a stand mixer to knead well for 5-6 minutes or knead for 10 minutes with your hands until smooth dough is formed.
- Apply little oil on top of the dough, cover it with a damp cloth and then keep in a warm place for at least 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, divide dough into 7 to 8 equal parts, let the dough balls rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai/wok on medium-high heat. Oil should be sufficiently hot, if you drop a piece of dough into the oil it should come up briskly. That's when the oil is ready to fry the bhatura.
- Roll each dough into circle or oval shape, it should neither be too thick nor thin. Add the rolled bhatura to hot oil and press gently with a ladle, until it starts to puff. Fry both the sides until brown.
- Transfer to tissue paper to drain oil. Serve bhatura with chole!
Notes
- The prep time includes the resting dough time of 1 hour.
- You may use water in place of milk to knead the dough.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to make Bhatura
