Bhature
Soft, puffed, golden fried breads made with a yogurt dough that rests until light and slightly tangy. Serve them hot with chole for a weekend breakfast.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large mixing bowl, rolling pin, deep kadhai or wok, slotted spoon, kitchen thermometer (optional)
Method
In a large bowl, mix the flour, semolina, sugar, salt, baking powder and yeast until evenly combined.
Add the yogurt and 2 tbsp oil and rub them into the flour with your fingertips. Pour in the warm water a little at a time and bring everything together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretches without tearing. Shape into a ball and place it in a greased bowl.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave in a warm spot until the dough has puffed up and looks about 1.5 times bigger.
Knead the risen dough briefly for 1 minute to knock out the large air pockets. Divide it into 8 equal balls and cover them with the damp cloth.
Heat the frying oil in a kadhai over medium heat to about 180°C. To test without a thermometer, drop in a small pinch of dough: it should sink briefly and rise within 3 seconds.
Lightly dust one ball with flour and roll it into an oval about 16 cm long and 4 mm thick. Roll only one at a time so the rest do not dry out.
Slide the oval gently into the hot oil. Press it lightly with the slotted spoon for a few seconds so it puffs up like a balloon.
Fry for 30 seconds until the underside is golden, then flip and fry another 30 seconds. Both sides should be light golden brown and the bread fully puffed.
Lift out with the slotted spoon, let the excess oil drip back into the pan, and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining dough, keeping the oil at 180°C between batches.
Cooking tips
- Keep the dough soft and slightly tacky. A stiff dough gives dense bhature that do not puff well.
- Oil that is too cool makes greasy, flat bread, and oil that is too hot browns them before they cook through. Adjust the heat between batches.
- Roll the ovals evenly without pressing hard on the edges, as thin spots stop the bread from puffing.
- Roll and fry one bhatura at a time. Rolled dough left to sit forms a skin and puffs poorly.
Substitutions
- No instant yeast: leave it out and increase the baking powder to 1 tsp, and rest the dough for 1 hour.
- No semolina: use an extra 50 g plain flour, though the bhature will be slightly less crisp at the edges.
- Plain wheat flour (atta) can replace half of the maida for a heartier, less soft bread.
- Use any neutral frying oil such as canola or sunflower.
Serve with
"Serve two hot bhature per person with chole, sliced red onion, green chillies, a wedge of lemon and a glass of sweet or salted lassi."
Storage
"Bhature are best eaten within an hour of frying. Leftovers keep covered at room temperature for the day, or refrigerated for up to 2 days. Raw dough can be refrigerated overnight after its first rise."
Reheating
"Warm on a dry tawa over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or wrap in foil and heat in a 180°C oven for 6 to 8 minutes. They will be softer and will not puff again."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Not shown for this recipe because it can’t be estimated reliably (for example, oil absorbed during deep frying varies a lot).
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