Bhatura Recipe: Soft, Pillowy Indian Bread (2024)

This bhatura recipe without yeast is an easy way to make soft, pillowy bhature (fried Indian bread). Together with chickpea curry, they make chole bhature, a very popular vegetarian north Indian dish.

Want to check out another very popular Indian bread? Do have a look at this wholewheat naan. It is made on a tawa or griddle and tastes awesome with all kinds of curries and stews.

We are trying our best to eat healthy around here, you and I. I'm dishing up things like lauki chana dal curry and grilled paneer kabab. Lots of vegetables, lentils and good protein. But, today, you're in the wrong place if you're looking for a sensible recipe that uses microscopic amounts of oil. There's nothing sensible about bhatura, that thick and golden deep-fried Indian bread that is totally addictive!

But, if there's one utterly not-sensible dish I can't give up, it's freshly made, hot bhature with chickpeas = chole bhature. Try it once and there is no way you won't hopelessly, heedlessly fall in love with it.

Another very popular bread that pairs beautifully with chole is poori. Chole poori is also a fantastic combination and is usually had for breakfast in north India. Anyhow, getting back to chole bhature ...

What does chole bhature taste like?

The chole (chickpeas) have spicy, intense flavors that will make your taste buds tingle.

The bhature (fried bread) are crisp on the outside, soft inside and have a satisfying doughy taste.

And when you break off a piece of bhatura and scoop up the chole with it ... that's when the real magic happens! They taste WONDERFUL together. I might be getting a little too excited here, folks, but that's what chole bhature does to you:)

So, of course, you can't have this awesomeness everyday (lots of oil and spice in case you haven't caught on yet). To let you in on a little secret, I have it as a special treat just a couple times a year. But when I do, I make the most of it:)

In this post, I'm sharing the bhature recipe only. If you want to know how to make chole, here it is -

CHOLE - Spicy chickpea curry to go with bhature

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour - 2 cups
• wheat flour (atta) - ½ cup - I used Indian atta flour used for making chapatis. Aashirvaad is a good brand and yields a soft dough.
• semolina flour or sooji (optional) - 2 tablespoons. It makes the bhature slightly crispy and easier to roll out.
• sugar - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1 teaspoon
• baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• yogurt - 1 cup
• cooking oil - 1 teaspoon for mixing in the dough and 3-4 cups for deep-frying.

The baking powder and yogurt 'ferment' the dough and give a pillowy texture to the bhature. They are a good substitute for yeast and you don't have to wait hours for the dough to rise. Some recipes call for several hours for fermentation, but I have found that 1 or 2 hours are enough when you add 1 teaspoon baking powder and lots of yogurt.

How to make this bhatura recipe without yeast

1. Sift the dry ingredients and add oil and yogurt. Knead to a firm dough, adding water as required and cover with a clean and damp tea towel or cloth. Leave to rest for 1 hour.

2. Remove the cloth and knead for a couple of minutes again. You'll find that the dough is quite pliable now. Divide into equal pieces and make balls out of the dough.

See Also

Lamb Vindaloo Recipe (Goat Vindaloo) - Swasthi's RecipesEasy Raita Recipe with Cucumber - the perfect side for an Indian mealWhite Bean Curry Recipe - Traditional Mauritian Roti and FillingsEasy Pumpkin Curry Recipe (Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry)

3. Roll out the balls into oblong shaped discs, either with your hands or with a rolling pin.

4. Heat oil in a karahi (wok) and fry the discs in the hot oil.

Tips for frying the bhature

• Make sure the oil is hot, but not so much that it starts giving off fumes. It should be just below smoking point. This makes for perfectly fried, puffed-up bhature. If the oil is not hot enough, the dough won't rise and the bread will absorb a lot of oil. If the oil is too hot, the bhature will burn on the outside and the dough will remain under-cooked inside.
• To test the temperature of the oil, drop a small piece of dough in the oil. Your oil is ready for frying if it rises to the top without getting burnt.
• Slide in a disc gently into the oil and wait a couple of seconds. Then, press on it with the back of a slotted spoon. The disc will puff up and rise to the surface. Turn over and let it fry for a few seconds before removing it from the oil onto some absorbent kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the discs.

Things to remember for perfect bhature

1. Knead the dough very well. You can do this in a stand mixer or by hand.

2. Allow the dough to rest for one hour or more before going on to the next step.

3. Fry the bhature in hot oil. It should be neither too hot nor cold.

4. Add 2 tablespoons semolina flour to the flour to make the bhatura a little crispy. Not essential, but gives a good texture to the bhature.

📖 Recipe

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