Bhatura Recipe : How to make Bhature at Home

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No other dish can beat the flavours of the Chole-Bhature Combo. These two dishes are made for each other. Almost all the restaurants, Dhabha’s and the rood side food stalls have the Chole Bhature in their menu. But as you can make chole at home, you can also prepare the Bhatura at home. At times, people think that Bhatura is not so easy to prepare. Also, there are various tricks involved in making the Bhatura dough and one has to be careful about kneading it correctly.

There is no fun in eating Bhatura if they do not rise up on being fried. But with little care, you can make Bhatura at home. The crispy from outside, soft form inside, and fluffy from top, these Bhatura’s taste heavenly. The Bhatura is also among the top simple and easy to prepare Punjabi Recipes. The Bhatura dough is made with few minimal ingredients. It basically need the fresh and sieved flour. You can use one flour or you can mix wheat flour and all-purpose flour to make it.

The Bhatura dough is prepared, then they are rolled and deep fried. These three key processes forms the puffed Indian bread. The taste of the Bhatura is fabulous and the texture is also just fantastic. There is crispiness, softness and fluffiness in the fried Bhatura. It is widely preferred Punjabi bread which is tummy filing as well.  The taste of the Bhatura is mildly sour due to fermentation. There are many method and variation to make Bhatura at home. You can prepare it with yeast or without it.

Remarks:

• Use Saffola Active oil for frying bhature. (click to buy saffola oil)
• You can use ¼ tsp. baking soda instead of baking powder.
• You may use cashew curd as well if not the plain curd.
• If you are using butter, then use the butter prepared at home.
• Refrain from over-fermenting the dough.
• You can use Eno as well instead of Baking Soda.
• The time required for fermentation is based on the temperature.
• For the Bhatura to become fluffy, the oil must be sufficiently medium hot.
• You can make Bhatura with only wheat flour or only all-purpose flour.
• The rolled out raw Bhatura should not be very thin and neither too thick.
• Make sure that the oil is not overheated.

Garnishing:

Whenever the Bhatura are fried, they release the aromatic fragrance. The strong smell spreads all over the kitchen which makes everyone tempt for it. When you serve the Bhatura with chole or any other gravy, you must do properly plating. With attractive garnishing, anyone can readily at the dish. Garnish the Bhatura plate with:

• Lemon Wedges
• Sliced Onions
• Pickled Chillies
• Kachumber Salad

Serving Suggestion:

You can have this beautifully puffed up Bhatura with yummy spicy Chole for your Sunday Brunch. The only accompaniment of this delicious fried Bhatura is the delicious chickpea curry. Take the Bhatura from the plate and serve it warm with the hot chole. There no other combination in Punjabi cuisine which beats the taste and flavours of the delicious Chole Bhature. The best way to have is hot and warm as soon as they are fried.

Though it is best enjoyed when served with spicy chole masala, however, you can pair it with any gravy or curry dish. This versatile deep fried Indian bread can be also enjoyed with any other Punjabi or north Indian curry. The Bhatura are an integral part of the Punjabi food. These lovely fried Bhaturas goes well with the Jain Punjabi Chole or with tasty Chole Palak.

Quick Tip:

• The over-fermented dough would make sour Bhatura.
• Also with over-fermented dough, Bhatura won’t puff well.
• The fermentation process is fast in places with a hot climate.
• The fermentation process is slow in places with cold climate.
• If you like crisp Bhature, then add semolina in the dough.
• If the oil is too hot, then Bhatura will turn dark immediately as soon as you slide it in the oil.
• Also, you need to be careful about dropping the dough for checking whether oil is heated or not.
• Dropping it from a height will make heated oil spill which may burn you.
• Bhatura becomes hard if they stay out for a longer time or when they are cold.

Storage:

If you are planning to make Bhatura immediately, then start to prepare the Bhatura once the dough has risen. But if you are planning to make it next day, then you must store the Bhatura dough after it has increased in volume. So, wrap the dough in the moist or damp cloth and keep it in fridge. You can also cover it in the aluminium foil and keep the dough in the container. And then next day when you want to make the Bhatura, take dough from fridge and wait till it comes at room temperature.

• The cooked Bhatura and the Bhatura dough can be stored.
• You can cover the leftover Bhatura dough and keep in the refrigerator.
• You may wrap the cooked Bhatura and store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
• The refrigerated cooked Bhatura can be re- heated in the microwave.
• If you want to eat the cooked Bhatura later, then you have to bake it again.
• You can keep it to warm in microwave or shallow fry the in the pan.

How to use yeast to make Bhatura Dough?

If you are using instant yeast, then just dissolve the instant yeast in some water. Take little bit of water and mix the active yeast in it. Then add all the other ingredients in it and mix them well. Also add the sieved flour while you are kneading and knead to a smooth dough. Mix everything properly and continue to knead. You must knead the dough very well for it be soft and smooth. Then cover the dough with a moist cloth. Allow it to rest and rise for 2 to 3 hours. It can also take 1 hour or less, the time for the dough to ferment varies with the temperature conditions.

When you are using the yeast in the preparation of Bhatura dough, then you must not keep it overnight. Avoid to ferment the dough for more than 3 hours. Even the little amount of yeast can make the dough over fermented and sour in taste. With the over fermented dough, the Bhatura would also not puff up nicely. The same dough when over fermented can be good for baking breads at home.

Also, whenever you’re using dry active yeast, then always use the minor warm water. Also take some sugar and mix with the dissolves dry active yeast. You must proof this yeast for 15 minutes. And only then you must add it to the dough mixture. You can always add ¼ to ½ tsp. yeast in the dough.

Now, whenever the dough doubles up in the volume, then take a pinch and make small balls. After you roll the round shaped balls, you must keep them covered with a moist cloth. Wait for more 20 minutes till these tiny balls also double up in volume. Now, you can begin to roll them and flatten the Bhatura dough. Once you have rolled the Bhatura dough in the circular shape, then you can begin to fry.

2^nd method to make Bhatura:

This is a bit easy and quick method of preparing Bhatura at home. Follow the steps below:

• Place the all-purpose flour in a bowl.
• Add the baking soda and salt.
• Also mix the baking powder.
• Mix well and pass it through a sieve.
• Then mix yogurt in the sieved mixture.
• Season the mixture with salt and sugar.
• Now, add little whole wheat flour.
• Pour a cup of water and mix gradually.
• Lightly knead and make a soft dough.
• Drizzle little oil into the dough and rub it.
• Cover the dough with a wet cloth.
• Keep the Bhatura dough to rest 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into
• Equal portions. Roll them into balls.
• Cover the rolled balls with damp cloth.
• Keep to ferment for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Grease your palms and flatten the balls.
• Roll out the Bhatura dough and deep fry it.

Variation in Bhatura Recipe:

The basic Bhatura recipe can be transformed into various other variations as well. Check below for the three type of different Bhatura recipe.

• Aloo Bhatura Recipe: In this recipe, the Bhatura dough is made with the mashed potatoes and some spice powders.
• Easy Bhatura Recipe: In this recipe, you do not have to leave the dough for overnight. Prepare the dough and leave it rest for couple of hour.
• Quick Bread Bhatura Recipe: This is the quickest method where you have leave the dough for only half-an-hour.

Difference in Bhatura and Poori?

The Punjabi Bhatura is very much similar to the Poori which is other popular deep fried North Indian dish. Both the Bhatura and the Poori is prepared in the same manner. There is only the difference of main core ingredients. Otherwise, everything else is same in bhatura and poori.

The Punjabi Bhatura are made with the all-purpose flour whereas the Poori is prepared from the wheat flour. Though you can make Bhatura with only wheat flour as well but it taste best with all-purpose flour. Even the soft and fluffy texture of Bhatura is due to the all-purpose flour.

Also, the other difference is the addition of yeast. For Bhatura, you may need to add yeast but for making Poori, there is no need to add yeast in its dough. And there is slight variation in calories of Bhatura and Poori.

Difference in wheat flour Bhature and all-purpose flour Bhature?

The Bhatura can be made with either only whole wheat flour or with only all-purpose flour. You can also make the Bhatura with the combination of both these sieved flours. Whichever flour you use to make the Bhatura, apart from the change of one ingredient, there is no other change in the method of making it. There is slightly difference of ingredients in both methods but the steps remain unchanged.

Also, the Bhatura from the wheat flour is kneaded in milk instead of water. You can add little curd to make moist and soft but there is no addition of water to the Bhatura dough. Also, the Bhatura dough of wheat flour does not require any resting. But you can leave the dough to rest for few hours as per your choice. This only helps in puffing up the Bhatura a little better. So, you can always begin to knead the dough an hour before you want to make the Bhatura. Also, the wheat flour Bhatura are bit healthier and better in texture. They are dense from outside and have a thick outer crust.

Ingredients for Wheat Flour Bhatura Recipe:

• Whole Wheat Flour (Atta) – 2 cups
• Fresh Full Fat Milk – ¾ cup
• Thick Curd – ¼ cup
• Baking Powder – 1 tsp.
• Sugar – 1 tsp.
• Salt – as per taste
• Oil – as required

Ingredients for All-Purpose Flour Bhatura Recipe:

• All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 2 cups
• Semolina (Sooji) – 2 tbsp.
• Baking Powder – 1 tsp.
• Baking Soda- 1 tsp.
• Salt – as per taste
• Sugar – ½ tsp.
• Thick Curd – ¼ cup
• Warm Water – ¼ cup
• Oil – as required

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