Bhatura - Indian Deep fried leavened bread

Bhaturas or the Indian deep fried leavened bread is a popular bread prepared in northern India and Pakistan. Prepared traditionally from a dough made of all purpose flour, clarified butter/ghee, yogurt and yeast, bhatura is delicious and is a popular item on the north Indian dhaba menus. Lets learn how to make Bhaturas.

This post is in continuation to my earlier post (more like earlier earlier) of Pindi Chole. Now, whoever is familiar with Pindi chole or simply chole as a dish, would know that Chole- Bhatura is a pair made in the #foodcoma world ! It is one that belongs to the divine category of meals and i can never say “no” to it. Sadly enough, i am not able to find this dish easily on the Indian menus here and i have to resort to making it myself or simply just reminisce the flavours in my head. The good side to this story is that i ended up learning the recipe for it 🙂

Being a north Indian, i have been lucky to be surrounded with mounts of comfort foods in the form of various chaats like samosas, Bhajias/ pakoras, tikki chole, matra – kulcha, dahi badas (you are drooling.. aren’t u 😛 ) and what not. We enjoy it so much that we practically keep hunting for excuses to make it a chaat day at home. Whether it is the rains, potlucks, celebrations or simply evening snacks, i am always in a for a good chaat ! Infact my fridge is always stocked with the basic chutneys for chaats – The mint coriander chutney and the tamarind chutney.. u know .. just in case i need to make some chaat suddenly 😛

Combination made in Heaven

Chole- Bhatura is to me, the pinnacle of Indian comfort food. Traditionally Bhaturas are supposed to be made with yeast (what i have come to read somewhere) and that means long resting time and some serious patience before you get to enjoy some deep fried goodness 😛 I thought about doing that but the impatient me could not keep up with the plan and i decided to make a short cut which still gives really good result and comes real handy…. specially for a person like me who gets up in the morning with no plans for a hearty, greasy punjabi meal but then ends up yearning for it 😛 😛 I have tried this recipe many times and as a bhatura lover, i can say that it comes pretty close to the real dhaba thing !! Try it !

Bhatura – Indian Deep fried leavened bread

Bhatura - Indian deep fried leavened bread

Time: 1.5 hrs (including resting time)
Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients

Method

Take a bowl. Sieve the flours in it and mix them together. Now, add in salt, sugar, baking powder, soda-bi carbonate and mix together.
Pour the 2 tablespoons oil in the dry mix and mix it together well till the flour resembles bread crumbs.
Next, add in yogurt and begin kneading. The dough needs to be soft for this recipe. Add water, one tablespoons at a time and continue kneading till you get a stretchy and soft dough.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about one hour.
Once rested, divide the dough into 10-12 portions and make into dough balls.
Now, drop a few drops of oil on the working surface. Place a dough ball on the surface and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into an elliptical/ round shape. You may need to apply a few drops of oil on the dough from time to time as this dough is very stretchy and it is generally a little difficult to roll it out. Repeat with all the dough balls.

Frying

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a thick bottom pan. Once the oil is hot (do the oil test – add in a small piece of dough in the oil. If the dough comes to the surface of the oil in a couple of seconds and start forming bubbles along its edges, the oil has reached the temperature needed for frying)
Drop in one bhatura at a time and fry on both sides till golden brown. Use the spatula to slightly press the bhatura in the center to help it puff up while frying. The bhatura is ready.

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Trust me.. this is the best combination ever !! These bhaturas are crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy inside… A.M.A.Z.I.N.G !! You might be on a diet but my friend, you cannot stop at one ! The tangy, spicy and delicious chole with a side of lemon wedges, some lemon marinated ginger and onion takes the experience of enjoying bhaturas to a whole new level. If you drooling at the pic, check out my simple recipe for the pindi chole which i recommend with bhaturas.. try it ! You will love it 🙂

Need more Indian comfort food in life?? Try these as well. Pick and choose your favorite or bookmark each one of these to make soon !!