Bhatura or bhature is a thick fried Indian bread, a popular Punjabi dish served with channa masala….the combination is called Chole Bhature (Chole means channa/chickpea).
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Bhatura – Fried Indian Bread
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9-10 1x
Description
Bhatura or bhature is a thick fried Indian bread, a popular Punjabi dish served with channa masala.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: 3, I pressure cooked them with skin on and allowed it to come to room temp.
- Flour: 1 1/2 cups, sometimes you might need a bit more.
- Salt: 1/2 tsp.
- Water: 1 tbsp.
- Oil: 1 tsp, to knead.
- Oil: For deep frying.
Instructions
- I boiled the potatoes with skin…in a pressure cooker….pls make sure it comes to room temperature.
- Peel off the skin and chop them.
- Put the flour and salt in the food processor and blitz once.
- Then add the chopped boiled potatoes into it.
- And blitz again for a minute or two…it will resemble breadcrumbs.
- Again run the food processor and add few drops of water….about 1 tbsp…slowly through the feeder….until the dough comes together.
- Plop the dough into another bowel.
- Drizzle 1 tsp ghee or oil…
- And knead to a soft pliable dough.
- Pinch off lemon sized balls from the dough and roll out each ball into 3-4 inch discs….do not make it very thin
- Meanwhile heat a kadai with oil or ghee and bring it to boil…..the oil should be very hot….slide in the bhatura……..gently tap the top with a spoon and it will puff up.
- Turn to the other side and allow it to brown a bit….strain and put it on top of a paper napkin….repeat the same with the rest ….try to put the flame on medium flame all through out.
- Serve with channa masala, lemon wedges, and onion rings…
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make bhatura without potatoes?
This recipe relies on boiled potato to bind the dough without yeast, so it is not a straightforward swap. Traditional yeast-leavened bhatura uses yogurt and baking soda instead — if you want to skip the potato, use 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/4 tsp baking soda in place of the mashed potato and reduce water accordingly. The texture will be slightly more airy and puffy.
Why isn’t my bhatura puffing up when fried?
Two things cause flat bhatura: oil that isn’t hot enough, and dough rolled too thin. The oil must be very hot before you slide in the first disc — a small piece of dough should sizzle and rise to the surface within 2 seconds. Gently tapping the top of the bhatura with a spoon while it fries helps it puff. Roll each disc 3–4 inches across and no thinner than 1/4 inch.
How far ahead can I make the dough?
The dough can be made up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature. Beyond that, the potato oxidizes and the texture degrades. Bhatura is best fried fresh and served immediately — the bread deflates and toughens as it cools, so fry in batches right before serving.
