Bhatura Indian Fried Bread Recipes

BHATURA, INDIAN FRIED BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Take a mixing bowl and mix both flours.
• 2. Add yogurt, baking soda, salt, 1 tbsp oil, and sugar.
• 3. Knead the dough using lukewarm water.
• 4. After kneading the dough apply 1 tbsp of oil.
• 5. Cover dough with wet towel and keep in warm place for 2 hours.
• 6. Divide them into 16 balls. Cover it with cloth and let them rest for 20 minutes.
• 7. Use a rolling pin and roll the dough into 5 inch diskettes.
• 8. Heat oil in pan for deep frying. Wait till oil gets hot.
• 9. Deep fry the bhatura and cook on both sides for one minute.
• 10. Remove the bhatura and place it on towel paper. This will help removing excess oil.
• Serve hot with Punjabi Cholle and Yogurt.

FAMILY FAVORITE CHICKPEA CURRY WITH BHATURA BREAD

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CHICKPEA CURRY: In a large dutch oven or other large cooking vessel, preferably with a thick bottom, put the 5 Table. oil and the two diced onions. Stir-fry until the onions are medium brown.
• Add the serrano chilies and the minced ginger and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the 3 diced tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne powder, tamarind concentrate (or you could add lemon juice when the curry is done cooking), garam masala, black pepper, sugar, turmeric, cinnamon, bay leaves and salt. Cook for 2 more minutes. [I usually get these spices ready in a small bowl before cooking, so that they just need to be dumped in at this time.].
• Add the 3 cans of chickpeas and the water, and cook until the tomatoes are well cooked and you have reached the desired thickness. Add more water if necessary. At the end of the cooking time, do a taste test to make sure that the curry has enough salt and that the curry has enough of a sour taste. If you are worried about the heat level, add less of the serrano chilies and the cayenne, you can always add more spice at the end if the curry needs it.
• TO MAKE THE BHATURA BREAD: Take the 3 dry yeast packets (each packet should be .25 oz or sometimes labeled 1/4 oz. each) and put them into a medium-size bowl. Add the 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl put the six cups of all-purpose flour (or use maida), the 6 Tablespoons oil, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well.
• Add the 2 cups plain yogurt (this is not runny yogurt but the thick kind that you buy at American grocery stores. Blend.
• Once the yeast is bubbly (if it isn't bubbly, the yeast may have gotten old or your water was too hot and you killed the yeast so you will have to redo it.), stir the yeast into the flour/yogurt mixture. Knead until elastic. Add more yogurt or flour as needed until the dough is not too wet nor too dry.
• Set the dough aside for 4-5 hours to raise.
• When ready to make, roll out dough pieces into a very large poori shape, and deep fry. Drain on paper towels.
• Be sure that you deep fry these bhatura bread pieces in a dutch oven so that the bread has plenty of room to balloon up when fried.
• This is excellent served with a raita or seasoned yogurt on the side.
• Cooking time is for the chickpea curry only.

BHATURA

Steps:

• Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl; beat the egg and add it to the flour with the sugar, yogurt and water.
• Mix to a fairly soft dough, adding more water if necessary.
• Add the ghee and knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable; put it back in the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place for about 4 hours to rise.
• Knead the dough again and divide into ten balls; roll out each one on a greased board to a circle about 4 inches in diameter.
• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok and fry the bhaturas, one at a time turning them so that they tur that they turn pale golden on both sides; drain on paper towels and keep warm while you fry the remainder.
• Note: This cookbook has a picture included of the bhaturas frying in a large deep frying pan that seems to contradict the instruction to fry one at a time.
• In the picture all ten are frying at once.
• My guess is that the instruction is meerly to make sure you have enough room to be able to turn them over and brown the other side.
• The 5 hours prep time includes the 4 hours rising, and the 30 minutes cooking time is an approximation that will depend on how many you try frying at a time and how quickly they brown.