Bhatura Recipe (Bhature)

Bhatura recipe With step by step photos – Bhatura Or Bhature (plural) is one of the most popular Punjabi recipe. Bhature are thick leavened fried Indian bread. Bhature are often eaten with Chana masala (Indian chickpea curry) and this combination of Chole bhature is very tasty as well as popular all over India.

I have been making this awesome bhature for many years. The recipe has never failed me. I started making these bhature after adapting it from The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking by Adiraja Dasa.

When I had adapted the recipe for the first time, it was a super success. That time, when I fried the bhatura in oil, they not only puffed up but they puffed up really well – like the way the bhatura actually has to puff up.

Also, they were soft, fluffy from inside and crisp from outside. The way a bhatura’s texture ideally should be.

Why this Bhatura Recipe is a Keeper?

1. Less all-purpose flour (maida, refined white flour) and more whole wheat flour (atta) is used in the recipe. The ratio of all purpose flour to whole wheat flour used in this recipe is approx 1:3 respectively. Some of the other bhature recipes are made of only all purpose flour.

2. Made without yeast. For the leavening of the flour, curd and baking powder or baking soda is used. The method used here is a traditional Indian method to draw natural yeast from the air which helps in the leavening of the dough. In Hindi language it is also called as making “khameer” – where the word khameer refers to yeast.

3. Fermented dough. The flour mixture is allowed to leaven and ferment overnight. So the dough has the typical aroma and notes of fermented food. The rolling and frying of the bread takes around 20 to 30 minutes. But the leavening of the flour mixture, takes 8 hours (overnight) plus 2 hours.

4. Fluffy and crisp. Since the dough is leavened and fermented, the bhature has a nice fluffy texture from within and puffs up really well in oil. Even though whole wheat flour is used in the recipe, you won’t feel the difference – the overnight fermentation help in giving a good soft texture to the bhatura.

5. Stays soft even after cooling. Usually, bhature becomes chewy after cooling at room temperature. But these bhature stay soft.

The old pics have been updated with new pics, since I always end up making bhatura this way to go with chole on festive or special occasions. I love fermented foods and when I have time I always go for this Tried and tested bhature recipe.

Preparation

1. You will have to start the night before. In a bowl take fresh yogurt (dahi or curd), sugar, baking powder and all purpose flour (maida). Mix well all the above 4 ingredients.

2. Cover the bowl with a cloth or lid and set it aside in a warm place overnight or for 8 to 9 hours to allow natural fermentation to take place. The next day you will see tiny bubbles on the surface of the mixture. I stirred the mixture and so the bubbles cannot be seen in this picture.

Making Dough

3. In another bowl, mix together the wheat flour with salt and rub the oil or ghee or butter into it with your fingertips.

4. Into this bowl, add the fermented mixture and the warm water.

5. Mix everything well.

6. Knead into a dough for 5 to 10 minutes or until it is smooth. Add a little flour if it is too wet.

7. Gather the dough into a compact ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Again set it aside in a warm place for 2 hrs. This is how the dough appears after 2 hours.

Making Bhatura

8. Knead the dough again. Shape into 12 to 15 balls.

9. Roll each into 4 to 5 inch discs.

10. Heat oil or ghee and deep fry the bhatura in the same way as you would fry pooris. The oil has to be moderately hot. Use medium to medium-high flame while frying. When one side is golden, gently flip and fry the second side.

11. Fry bhatura till golden and crisp. The bhatura will take a bit longer to fry than Poori.

12. Drain the bhatura on kitchen paper napkins to remove the excess oil.

13. Continue to fry each bhatura this way.

14. Serve the Bhature hot with Chana Masala or Amritsari chole or Aloo Chole. Also serve wedges of lemon and sliced onions along with the chole.

Few more tasty Indian breads for you!

• Naan recipe
• Kulcha recipe
• Thepla recipe

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS ABOVEMany of my recipes have detailed step by step photos and useful tips to help you make it easily and perfectly.

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Bhatura Recipe (Bhature)

4.74 from 42 votes

Bhatura or Bhature is a thick leavened fried Indian bread always eaten with Chana Masala.

Author:Dassana Amit

Prep Time:8 hrs 15 mins

Cook Time:45 mins

Total Time:9 hrs

Course:snacks

Cuisine:indian street food,north indian,punjabi

Servings (change the number to scale):10 bhatura

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

Ingredients

main ingredients

• 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee or butter
• ⅓ or ½ cup lukewarm water - do not add hot water
• oil for deep frying

for overnight fermentation of dough

• ¾ cup fresh curd (yogurt or cashew curd), 150 ml curd
• ½ tablespoon sugar or brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder (alternative is - use ¼ teaspoon baking soda)
• ¾ cup all purpose flour (maida)
• ¼ cup water (optional)

Instructions

Preparation

• You will have to start the night before.
• In a bowl take the yogurt, sugar, baking powder and all purpose flour.
• Mix well all the above 4 ingredients mentioned for overnight fermentation.
• If the yogurt has whey in it, then don't need to add the ¼ cup water mentioned above.
• If the yogurt is thick, then to thin the batter, add ¼ cup water.
• Cover the bowl with a cloth and set it aside in a warm place overnight or for 8 to 9 hours to allow natural fermentation to take place.
• The next day you will see tiny bubbles on the surface of the mixture. The mixture is ready for the next step when tiny bubbles appear on the surface.

Kneading dough

• In another bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour (atta) with salt and rub the ghee or butter into it with your fingertips.
• Into this bowl, add the fermenting mixture and the warm water.
• Form a dough with these two mixtures.
• Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes or until it is silky smooth. 
• Add a little flour if it is too wet. Gather the dough into a compact ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Again set it aside in a warm place for 2 hrs.
• After 2 hours, knead the dough again.
• Shape into 15 balls and roll them into 5 to 6-inch discs.

Frying Bhatura

• Heat oil or ghee and deep fry the bhature in the same way as you would fry pooris. the oil has to be moderately hot. Use medium to medium-high flame while frying. 
• They will take a bit longer to fry than pooris. fry them till golden.
• Drain them on kitchen paper napkins to remove the excess oil.
• Continue to fry each bhature this way.
• Serve the bhatura hot with chana masala and wedges of lemon and sliced onions.

Notes

Nutritional information is for 1 bhatura. 

Nutrition Info (approximate values)

Nutrition Facts

Bhatura Recipe (Bhature)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 187 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 243mg11%

Potassium 168mg5%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 18IU0%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2mg10%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin B12 1µg17%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Vitamin D 1µg7%

Vitamin E 2mg13%

Vitamin K 1µg1%

Calcium 43mg4%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 32µg8%

Iron 2mg11%

Magnesium 45mg11%

Phosphorus 148mg15%

Zinc 1mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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