How to Make Bhatura Dough and Punjabi Bhature

Rajan loves cooking dishes from his native Indian cuisine. He likes to share his favourite recipes with his online readers.

Bhatura is a fluffy, leavened, deep-fried bread from North India whose main ingredient is maida (all-purpose flour). It can be served for breakfast or a midday meal, and it is is usually eaten with chole, which is prepared with chickpeas or garbanzo beans.

There are various ways to prepare chole to accompany bhature. One very popular chole dish from Punjab is amritsari pindi chole.

Do try preparing the bhature with the method and tips suggested in the recipe and video. You will be delighted with the resulting soft, fluffy and crisp bread.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• Oil, for frying
• 2 tsp oil, for the dough
• 250 grams maida (all-purpose flour)
• 50 grams sooji (semolina)
• 1/2 cup dahi (yoghurt)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup water, or as needed, for making the dough

Instructions

1. In a kneading plate, add the maida, sooji, baking soda, baking powder, salt, yoghurt and 2 tsp oil. Stir and mix until they combine well.
2. Add water little by little to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth.
3. Coat the dough with a thin layer of oil, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 1 hour.
4. After 1 hour, knead the dough again for 1 minute. Heat up oil in a wok while you make 8 balls of dough (each should be the same size).
5. Dust each dough ball in dry flour. Apply oil on a rolling pin and rolling surface. Roll out the dough balls to make evenly thin, round bhature. Each disc should be 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
6. Ensure the oil in the wok is nice and hot. Keep the heat on medium heat and gently slide in one bhatura in the hot oil.
7. Keep pressing the bhatura in the centre and rotating it at the same time until it balloons up. Flip it over.
8. Fry the bhatura until the other side is done. Hold it against the edge of the wok with a slotted ladle to drain out the excess oil then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
9. Fry the rest of the bhature and serve them with amritsari pindi chole, mango launji, sliced onions and green chillies.

How to Make Bhatura Dough and Punjabi Bhature (English)

© 2021 Rajan Singh Jolly