Bhatura Recipe Bhature

Bhature (plural for bhatura) is paired with chole (chickpea curry) and it is called a traditional dish chole bhature. 

What Is Bhatura & How It’s Made?

Bhatura is a deep-fried North Indian bread that is made from leavened dough. The leavening agent in the dough can be yeast, baking soda, or Eno fruit salt.  Today I am sharing the bhatura recipe with yeast. This is how it is traditionally made. Also, in restaurants, they use yeast as a leavening agent. Though traditionally (in the olden days), people used to make their own leavening mixture (using flour & water) by fermenting it overnight or for a couple of days, just like a sourdough starter.  But nowadays, we use a packet of dry yeast. There is another recipe called quick bhatura where baking soda (or Eno) combined with yogurt is used as a leaving agent. But with this method, you need to compromise slightly on fluffy, soft texture. 

You’ll Love This Bhatura Recipe

With this bhatura recipe, you can replicate the same taste and texture just like your favorite restaurant or street stall.  Texture: Crispy on top with fluffy and spongy, soft from the inside. (You can see in this below pic). Not too chewy: Bhatura is known for its slightly chewy texture (that comes from all purpose flour). But this bhatura doesn’t turn rubbery chewy after cooling down.  Not too oily: If you’ve noticed some restaurant bhatura are super oily and greasy. But with my bhatura recipe, it doesn’t soak up much oil (if you’ve fried it properly in hot oil). 

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make bhatura dough. Plus, oil is required for deep frying (not in the pic).

Warm water: To bloom the yeast, you must use warm water (100°–110°F). Cold or hot water will kill the yeast and they won’t rise. Active dry yeast: This type of yeast must be activated in warm water for the blooming step. If using instant yeast then no need to proof it, just add it to the flour and knead. Sugar & Salt: Both help to activate the yeast. Yogurt: Plain yogurt (known as curd in India) is used here. It adds a slight tang (similar to traditional method of overnight fermentation).  Ghee: It is added as a ‘moyen’ in the dough. You can use oil but ghee gives the best flavor. All purpose flour (Maida): It gives the bhatura’s signature soft and slightly chewy texture. If substituted with wheat flour then the chewy key texture will be missing.  Semolina (Sooji or Rava): It gives bhatura a crisp texture as it puffs up and it holds a puffy texture for longer (unlike poori which deflates after a few minutes)

👩‍🍳 How To Make Bhatura Recipe? (Pics)

Making Dough: Note: I am using my KitchenAid stand mixer to knead the dough as it makes it effortless. But sure you can do this by hand.

1. Take warm water in a stand mixer bowl and add salt, sugar and yeast. Lightly mix and let it proof.
2. Let the yeast rest for around 10 minutes and it should be bloomed. If it doesn’t bloom then start over with a new packet of yeast.
3. Add yogurt and ghee, and lightly mix it.
4. Add all purpose flour and semolina.
5. Use the dough hook attachment.
6. Start mixing with a low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough comes together. After that keep running the mixer for around 3-5 minutes on medium speed to knead and smooth out the dough.
7. Apply oil around the edges of the bowl and also on the dough. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough proof.
8. Let the dough rest for around 1 ½ – 2 hours or until it doubles in size. Make Balls & Roll Bhatura: Before you start rolling, heat the oil in a kadai or deep-wide pan for deep frying on medium-high heat.  1, 2) Deflate the dough and pinch a small lemon size ball to get a crack-free smooth ball. Similarly, prepare all the balls. I get around 12 balls.
9. Apply oil on a rolling board and rolling pin. Also, apply some oil on a dough ball for easier rolling (as this is a too soft dough and it can stick while rolling).
10. Roll into a 6-7 inch oval shaped bhatura. Frying: Check whether the oil is hot or not: Drop a small tiny piece of dough in the oil and it should come on top within a few seconds. Meaning oil is hot enough to fry. If the dough stays at the bottom of the oil for longer then the oil is not hot enough. 
11. Carefully slide the rolled bhatura into the hot oil. 2,3,4) Right away start pressing and moving the bhatura in a circular motion in the oil. And it will puff up like a balloon.
12. Flip the bhatura and fry the bottom side as well until golden brown and crisp.
13. Drain the excess oil and transfer the fried bhatura to a paper-towel lined plate. Similarly, roll and fry the rest of the bhature.

💭 Expert Tips For Perfect Bhatura

Kneading the dough: You must knead bhatura dough for at least 3-5 minutes (use a stand mixer or food processor with a dough blade or simply knead by hand). Why is it important? If you have noticed when working with all purpose flour, as you roll, it will shrink. If you have kneaded the dough properly then rolled bhatura will not shrink. Use oil while rolling bhatura: Instead of using dry flour as a dusting, you must use oil. That dry flour will burn in the oil while frying and stick back to the fried bhatura. It ruins the look and taste. So always use oil while rolling. Oil has to be hot enough: If oil is not hot enough then bhatura will soak up so much oil and will not puff up.  How to check the oil is hot enough for frying? Add a tiny piece of dough to hot oil. That dough will come on top of the oil within seconds. If it stays at the bottom for longer meaning the oil is not hot enough. If it comes on top too quickly meaning the oil is too hot. 

🍽 Serving Ideas For Bhatura

Bhature is served with chole (chana masala) and the dish is called chole bhature. On the side sliced onions with lemon wedges, fried green chili and pickle are served.

Did you try this bhatura recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

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