This Bhatura recipe is a perfect recipe to make with chole. Bhatura is a deep-fried north Indian flatbread, leavened with yogurt, baking powder, and baking soda. This instant leavened bhaturas is popularly served with Punjabi Chole Masala. This recipe is an Instant Bhatura recipe. I have perfected this recipe, over the years I have been making chole bhature. It is the best!
My parents both love chole bhature. It is their favorite Indian food to make at home and enjoy at restaurants. I have clearly inherited their love for chole bhatura. This bhatura recipe is perfect! It is soft, and fluffy and will not feel oily after deep frying. I have worked and perfected this recipe, through the years of making it.
My mom would make chole bhatura at least once every two weeks. Dad would bring home gulad jamuns to end this delicious meal. Mom would serve us hot puffy bhature with chole masala, and laccha pyaaz or pickled onions, papad, and gulad jamun.
I hope you love this chole bhature recipe, as much as we do!
Jump to:
- What is Bhatura?
- Why This Instant Bhatura Recipe Works
- Experts Tips On How To Make Perfect Instant Bhatura Recipe
- Ingredients to Make The Bhature
- Step-by-Step Recipe To How to Make the Perfect Bhatura Recipe
- Serving Suggestions for Instant Bhature Recipe
- Storage Instructions For Instant Bhature Recipe
- How to Make Perfect Instant Bhatura Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
- More Bread Recipes From The Blog
- Bhatura Recipe
What is Bhatura?
Bhatura is a deep-fried North Indian flatbread, popularly served with Punjabi chole. These bhaturas are leavened deep-fried bread made either by fermenting the dough overnight or instantly. This recipe is instant because you need only one hour for the dough to rest. I am using yogurt, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. This way the acidity from the yogurt, will help the dough soften, and make it puffier.
The texture of this bhature is soft and chewy, and they shouldn't feel oily after deep-frying. If you don't prefer using all-purpose flour, you can also make them with whole wheat flour. Or use half a portion each of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour to make this Instant Bhatura Recipe.
Why This Instant Bhatura Recipe Works
This Instant bhatura recipe may sound overwhelming to you, but trust me they are very easy to make. Chole bhature recipe is easy to prep and works great for a wonderul meal to make for your family and friends.
- Instant Recipe - The recipe uses yogurt, baking powder, and baking soda as leavening agents for this recipe. This recipe requires only 1 hour of resting time, which makes it quicker to make than the one that uses the fermentation method.
- Perfectly Soft and Chewy Bhature - I like to use plain greek yogurt in this recipe, as it is sour than Indian dahi. This adds to very mild sour taste to the instant bhaturas, just as how the fermentation process adds in the bhature.
- No Yeast - As in the case of most leavened breads using yeast, bhatura dough uses yogurt's acidity to soften the dough, and adding baking soda to it makes the process faster.
- Make it Healthier - This recipe works well with whole wheat flour too, if you don't use all purpose flour. Sometimes, I prefer to use half a portion of each all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour! They come out just as soft and chewy!
- Perfect Texture - This recipe results into a beautiful crisp top on the bhaturas, soft and chewy on the inside. You must have noticed, most restaurants serve very oily bhaturas. This recipe uses semolina and yogurt, which helps the bhaturas retain extra oil, and make them perfect! These bhaturas stay soft even after cooling.
Experts Tips On How To Make Perfect Instant Bhatura Recipe
Make The Bhatura Dough
- This recipe is an instant bhatura recipe, so you will only need 1 hour of resting time for the dough to rest and form gluten.
- You can make the dough with all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, as they both taste great.
- For leavening, I prefer to use plain low-fat Greek yogurt, along with baking powder and baking soda. This plain yogurt adds a mild sour taste to the bhaturas, just like how the traditionally fermented bhaturas have.
- You can either use lukewarm milk or water to knead the dough. I prefer to use milk, as sugar and milk in the dough caramelize and give a perfect golden brown bhaturas. Using lukewarm milk also helps the dough soften, and make soft bhaturas.
- Mix the dry ingredients well, before adding ghee.
- I prefer to use ghee as moin in this recipe, but you can also use vegetable oil if you like. Just use any flavorless oil or your bhaturas will smell like the oil used.
- Knead the dough using your fingers. This will ensure your dough is well hydrated and the bhaturas will be soft and puff up!
- You must knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is soft. The kneading will soften the dough and will help with the gluten formation in the dough.
- If you are using a stand mixer, knead the dough for 6 minutes.
- Cover the dough with a damp muslin cloth to keep it moist.
- After 2 hours, divide the dough into 8 equal parts, roll them into dough balls, and keep them covered with the damp muslin cloth until the oil is ready to fry the bhaturas.
Roll and Deep Fry the Bhaturas
- Roll the bhaturas oval or circles in shape! They should be neither too thick nor too thin. The thickness of bhaturas should be equal to make sure they puff up perfectly while frying.
- The oil must be hot enough for the bhatura to rise in the oil right away, as you place it in the oil.
- You must then press the bhaturas on all sides with very little pressure to ensure it puffs up. If your oil is not enough, the bhaturas won't puff up.
- Place the bhaturas on a baking sheet lined with a metal rack to make sure the extra oil drips and the result is perfect oil-free bhaturas.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
- These bhature recipe taste best when served piping hot right off the pan.
- They stay soft if in case you need to make them a little ahead of time.
- Chole bhature is a popular north Indian street food. Serve the bhaturas with Punjabi chole, Pindi chole or Chana Masala, and onion salad.
- The bhatura dough can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for 1 day. To use, let the dough come to room temperature and use.
Ingredients to Make The Bhature
All-Purpose Flour - These instant bhaturas are made with all-purpose flour, but I have tried them with whole wheat flour too, if you don't want to use all-purpose flour.
Semolina - Use fine semolina for this recipe. It adds a texture to the dough and also helps the bhaturas to not retain any extra oil.
Ghee - I like to use ghee as moin for this recipe, but you can also use any nuetral flavored oil. Although I feel, ghee does help the bhaturas crisp up on the top.
Leavening Agents - We will be using yogurt, baking powder and baking soda as leavening agents for this recipe.
Salt and Sugar - Just how yeast gets activated with sugar, the bacteria in the yogurt gets activated by sugar and helps it soften, while it rests. Salt creates a perfect balance in the taste of the bhaturas.
Milk/Water - Use lukewarm milk or water to knead the dough. I prefer luke warm milk, as it helps with kneading a soft dough.
Oil - I like to use avocado oil to deep fry the bhaturas, but you can use vegetable oil to fry them too.
Step-by-Step Recipe To How to Make the Perfect Bhatura Recipe
This is the step-by-step bhature recipe, along with step-by-step pictures, to show you how to make the perfect bhatura.
Knead The Bhatura Dough
1. Add all-purpose flour, semolina, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
2. Now mix it all thoroughly with a whisk or your fingers.
3. Add ghee, and mix everything well until the ghee is combined with the flour.
4. Add plain yogurt, and start to knead the dough.
5. Add lukewarm milk little by little and keep kneading the dough. Once the dough comes together, knead it for 10 minutes, for the dough to soften. If you are using a stand mixer, knead the dough for 6 minutes.
6. Apply some ghee to the dough.
Rest the Dough and Roll The Bhature
7. Cover the dough with a damp muslin cloth. Let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
8. Divide the dough in 8 equal parts. Make the dough balls. And cover them with a damp muslin cloth.
9. Add oil to a heavy bottom pot for deep frying on medium-high flame. Let it heat, while the dough ball rests.
10. Roll the bhatura in an oval or circle shape. You won't need any flour to roll the bhatura dough. Also, keep the rest of the dough balls covered with damp muslin cloth.
11. Roll it not too thick and not too thin. Keep the thickness even throughout the bhaturas, for them to puff up beautifully. Repeat until you have rolled and cooked all the bhaturas.
How to Cook the Perfect Bhatura
12. Pinch a small piece of dough and add it to the oil. If the dough rises and floats right away, your oil is ready to cook the bhaturas.
13. Add the rolled bhatura carefully to the hot oil. Press it down with a frying spatula with gentle pressure to help the bhatura puff up.
14. Once it puffs up on one side, flip it carefully and cook the bhatura on the other side. It should take 20 seconds for the bhatura to fry on each side.
15. Once the bhatura is cooked, place it on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. This will make sure all the extra oil drips away, and you will have perfect oil-free bhaturas to enjoy.
16. And this is how to make perfect bhatura. Serve these prepared bhature with chole masala, onion salad, and papad.
Serving Suggestions for Instant Bhature Recipe
Chole bhature is a very famous dish enjoyed in north India. Here's you serve these perfect bhatura.
Serve the bhaturas piping hot right off the pan, with Punjabi chole, or Chana Masala. You can also serve some papadums and pickled onions on the side to complete the meal. If I am hosting, I always make mango lassi to go with this meal. You can make my popular classic rice kheer recipe, or Gajar Halwa to finish this delicious meal on a sweet note!!!
Storage Instructions For Instant Bhature Recipe
These bhature stay soft even after cooling. I don't recommend storing the bhaturas in the refrigerator. But if you have to, cover them in an aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator. Reheat them for a minute or two at 375F in your oven or air fryer. If you feel the bhaturas smell sour, do not eat them. You can store the leftover bhatura dough in the refrigerator for a day. Let it come to room temperature completely before rolling the bhatura, and frying it. Chole Bhature taste the best when enjoyed on the same day!
How to Make Perfect Instant Bhatura Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Poori is an unleavened bread, so it doesn't need any rising or fermenting agents in the dough. While bhatura is a leavened bread, which requires leavening agents like yogurt and baking soda.
You need a firm, yet soft dough to make the bhaturas. You might not be kneading your dough enough. Set a timer and knead the dough for 10 minutes. You will notice the dough becomes soft while you knead. Using lukewarm milk also helps to make the dough firm but soft. One way of testing the dough is, if you press the dough with your finger, it should be able to bounce back right away.
While I don't suggest you make the bhatura dough in advance. If you have leftover dough, you can refrigerate in an airtight container for 1 day. I recommend you store the leftover dough in the refrigerator, instead of storing the cooked bhaturas.
The answer is yes! Bhaturas have a very mild sour taste to them which comes through the fermentation process. If you don't want to ferment the bhaturas, try making pooris instead.
More Bread Recipes From The Blog
Bhatura Recipe
These nutrional values are automatically generated. Use them for estimation only.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Heavy Bottom Pot For deep frying
- 1 Frying Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1.5 Tablespoons Semolina
- 1.5 Teaspoons Sugar
- ¾ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅛ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Tablespoons Ghee
- ½ Cup Plain Yogurt
- 4 Tablespoons Milk Lukewarm
- Oil For Deep Frying
Instructions
- Add all-purpose flour, semolina, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
- Now mix it all thoroughly with a whisk or your fingers.
- Add ghee, and mix everything well until the ghee is combined with the flour.
- Add plain yogurt, and start to knead the dough.
- Add lukewarm milk little by little and keep kneading the dough. Once the dough comes together, knead it for 10 minutes, for the dough to soften. If you are using a stand mixer, knead the dough for 6 minutes.
- Apply some ghee to the dough.
- Cover the dough with a damp muslin cloth. Let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Divide the dough in 8 equal parts. Make the dough balls. And cover them with a damp muslin cloth.
- Add oil to a heavy bottom pot for deep frying on medium-high flame. Let it heat, while the dough ball rests.
- Roll the bhatura in an oval or circle shape. You won't need any flour to roll the bhatura dough.
- Keep the rest of the dough balls covered with damp muslin cloth.
- Roll it not too thick and not too thin. Keep the thickness even throughout the bhaturas, for them to puff up beautifully. Repeat until you have rolled and cooked all the bhaturas.
- Pinch a small piece of dough and add it to the oil. If the dough rises and floats right away, your oil is ready to cook the bhaturas.
- Add the rolled bhatura carefully to the hot oil. Press it down with a frying spatula with gentle pressure to help the bhatura puff up.
- Once it puffs up on one side, flip it carefully and cook the bhatura on the other side. It should take 20 seconds for the bhatura to fry on each side.
- Once the bhatura is cooked, place it on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. This will make sure all the extra oil drips away, and you will have perfect oil-free bhaturas to enjoy!
- Serve with chole masala, onion salad, and papad.
Notes
- Read the blog thoroughly.
- The bhatura recipe might seem intimidating, but actually, it is very easy to make.
- Add lukewarm milk or water to knead the dough, and only add little at time. Too much moisture in the dough, will result in small bubbles over the bhaturas, which we don't want.
- Serving suggestion - Serve the bhaturas piping hot right off the pan, with Punjabi chole, or Chana Masala. You can also serve some papadums and pickled onions on the side to complete the meal. If I am hosting, I always make mango lassi to go with this meal. You can make my popular classic rice kheer recipe, or Gajar Halwa to finish this delicious meal on a sweet note!!!
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