Chole Bhature

The other day, I had some close friends over and what better food to serve than large puffed up bhaturas and piping hot chole.

The grownups and kids, all loved the bhature.

There is something so delightful about biting into a bhatura, something far more different than a puri, because a bhatura has more layers, more dense and has more texture.

Although making a bhatura seems daunting, if you plan ahead, there is no reason why you shouldn’t get a perfectly round puffed up bhatura every single time.

Try it and let me know how it goes.

Ingredients

Flour/ Maida- 3 cups
Yoghurt- 1 cup
Baking powder -1 heaped tsp
Soda bicarb-1.5
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 2 tsp for kneading

Oil- about 500 ml for frying

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, soda bicarb and salt.
This recipe does not use any water, just yoghurt for kneading.

Beat the yoghurt so that it has no lumps and add in slowly and knead to a very soft pliable dough.

Do remember that this dough will be quite sticky. Finish off with the 2 tsp of oil and knead into a ball.

If you think the yoghurt is not enough to knead, please add more or less, as much as you need, but do not add any water.

Cover with cling wrap and keep aside in a large bowl for 6-8 hours, even refrigerate.
When you unwrap it you will find that the dough has risen because of the soda and the baking powder and is a lot more airy.

Knead it again, add oil if required.

Shape into small balls- about the size of a lemon.

I have experimented with various sizes, and I find that not making the bhatura too big ensures a perfectly risen one.

Of course, feel free to make the size you are most comfortable with.

Everytime you pick a ball to roll, roll it in the palm of your hands, smoothen, dab a bit of flour, it will need some to help the rolling process, because the dough is sticky, remember?

Don’t be stingy with the flour, use as much as you need.
Roll into circles, roll out about 5-6 and then fry them in batches.

Check that the oil is sufficiently hot, by putting in bits of dough. If it rises straight away, then you have perfectly hot oil.

Of course do remember to keep reducing the gas and maintaining the temperature of the oil , if the oil gets too hot, the bhatura will rise but not cook inside, and be burn, even.

If the oil is too cold, the bhatura will absorb too much oil. It is a fine art, but practise will get you there.

Add in the rolled bhaturas. Press down gently in the centre with a frying slotted spoon and you will see it rising straight away.

Flip over, let fry for a minute or so and then remove. Both sides will have golden specks.

Stand on absorbent kitchen paper.

Bhaturas are best eaten hot and served with chana masala.

Foe the chana(chole) recipe, please click here.