Bhatura (or Bhature) is a fluffy, fried North Indian bread made with a leavened dough of all-purpose flour and yogurt. This no-yeast Bhatura recipe uses baking powder and baking soda for leavening and can be made quickly at home. The dough is soft and results in crisp yet fluffy bhature when fried. Bhatura is traditionally served with chana masala.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 130 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 150 minutes
  • Yield: 8 · 8 Bhature
  • Category: Breakfast, Snacks
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour ((maida))
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or add according to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 7 tablespoons sooji (rava/semolina - fine textured and not coarse)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (- fine or super fine)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  • ½ cup curd ((yogurt or dahi))
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons water (- for kneading or add as required)
  • oil (- for deep frying, add as required)

Method

Making Bhatura Dough

  1. Sift the all-purpose flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the sooji and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
  3. Add the yogurt, oil and mix again with a spoon
  4. Add very little water bit by bit (just about ½ tablespoon at a time) and begin to knead.
  5. Knead the dough, adding water as needed.
  6. Form into a smooth, supple and soft dough.
  7. Cover the dough with a moist cotton napkin and let the dough leaven for 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature.

Making Bhatura

  1. Heat oil in a kadai or pan for deep frying.
  2. Make medium-sized balls from the dough.
  3. Roll the balls between your palms to make them even.
  4. Keep the balls covered with the damp kitchen napkin.
  5. Take a ball and flatten them slightly. Apply oil on both sides and with a rolling pin, roll the ball into oval or elongated shape making sure the edges are about 2 to 3 mm thick.
  6. Make neither thick nor thin bhature.
  7. Rotate the rolling board while rolling the bhature as it much easier than lifting it, since we are not using flour to roll them.
  8. When the oil is hot enough, place the rolled dough gently into the oil. It will puff up.
  9. Aid in puffing by applying light pressure on it with a slotted spoon.
  10. When the oil stops sizzling and the bhatura turns light golden, turn oven and fry the second side.
  11. When light golden, remove and drain on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
  12. Make the rest of the bhature this way. Serve the bhatura hot with chana masala.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.