Bhatura recipe with step by step photos – Bhaturas or Bhature is one of the most popular punjabi recipe. Bhatura are thick leavened fried Indian bread. Bhaturas are often eaten with chole (chickpeas) and this combination of chole bhature is very tasty as well as popular all over india.
I wanted to post and share this great Bhatura recipe from a long time and finally, I am able to do it today. I made these for the first time on hubby’s birthday.
Though, I have cooked chole masala many times, it was always with pooris. This time I wanted to make bhaturas. I know from examples of my friends that bhatura is not so easy to make and it does not rise or puff up while frying.
I checked on the internet and there were many recipes for bhatura – with yeast, without yeast, with eno and so on. The list is endless. Finally, I decided to adapt this recipe, from a book which has tested and tried recipes from the world of Iskcon – “The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking” by Adiraja dasa
When I fried the bhaturas 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 from inside and crisp from outside.
I later made these awesome bhaturas again. Again, this bhatura recipe did not fail me this time. The bhature turned out great again.
The other good point of this bhatura recipe is that it uses less of all purpose flour (maida)/refined white flour and more of whole wheat flour (atta). The ratio of all purpose flour to whole wheat flour used in this recipe is approx 1:3 respectively. Some of the other bhatura recipes are made of only maida or refined flour.
Also, this bhatura recipe is made without yeast. For the leavening of the flour, curd and baking powder or baking soda is used.
The rolling and frying of the bhaturas takes around 20-30 minutes. But the leavening of the flour, takes 8 hours (overnight) plus 2 hours. I made the bhaturas with Amritsari Chole.
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 ocassions. I guess I love fermented foods and hence always go for this tried and tested bhatura recipe.
I have 3 more bhatura recipes on the blog:
- Bhatura made using mashed potatoes. This aloo bhatura recipe is also a step by step recipe and is a quick recipe to make bhaturas.
- Easy Bhatura Recipe – You just need to keep the dough to leaven for about 2 hours and then begun with the frying.
- Quick Bread Bhatura Recipe – You only need to leaven the dough for 30 minutes. No need of yeast.
If you are looking for more indian bread recipes then do check matar kulcha, naan without yeast, aloo paratha and aloo kulcha.
Bhature or Bhatura Recipe below:
Bhatura Recipe
Bhature Recipe without Yeast - Bhaturas are thick leavened fried Indian bread often eaten with chole or chana.
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
main ingredients for bhatura recipe
- 2.5 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
- 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee or butter
- ⅓ or ½ cup warm water
- vegetable oil for deep frying
for overnight fermentation
- ¾ cup plain curd (yogurt or dahi 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)
how to make recipe
Preparation for Bhatura Recipe
- You will have to start the night before.
- In a bowl take the yoghurt, 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 1/4 cup water mentioned above.
- If the yogurt is thick, then to thin the batter, add 1/4 cup water.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and set it aside in a warm place overnight or for 8 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 for bhatura recipe
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.
This is how the bhatura dough appears after 2 hours.
- Knead the dough again.
Form it in to 15 balls and roll them into 5-6 inch discs.
Making Bhatura
Heat oil or ghee and deep fry the bhaturas in the same way as you would fry pooris.
The bhaturas will take a bit longer to fry than pooris.
Fry bhature till golden.
Drain the bhatura on kitchen paper napkins to remove the excess oil.
Continue to fry each bhatura this way.
Serve the bhaturas hot with chole and wedges of lemon and sliced onions.
How to make Bhature or Bhatura Recipe:
- You will have to start the night before. In a bowl take the yogurt (dahi or curd), sugar, baking powder and all purpose flour (maida). Mix well all the above 4 ingredients.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth or lid and set it aside in a warm place overnight or for 8 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 pic.
- In another bowl, mix together the wheat flour with salt and rub the oil or ghee or butter into it with your fingertips.
- Into this bowl, add the fermented mixture and the warm water.
- Mix everything well.
- Knead into a 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. This is how the dough appears after 2 hours.
- Knead the dough again. Form it in to 12-15 balls.
- Roll each into 4-5 inch discs.
- Heat oil or ghee and deep fry the bhaturas in the same way as you would fry pooris.
- Fry bhature till golden. The bhaturas will take a bit longer to fry than pooris.
- Drain the bhatura on kitchen paper napkins to remove the excess oil.
- Continue to fry each bhatura this way.
- Serve the bhaturas hot with Punjabi Chole or Peshawari chole or Aloo Chole or Paneer Chole. Also serve wedges of lemon and sliced onions along with the chole.
Would you please move next door to me, and, can I come over for dinner a few nights a week?
Thanks Joan for this sweet comment.