Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Bhatura
Bhatura (Deep-fried Bread)

Bhatura

Deep-fried Bread
VegetarianOrigin PunjabPrep 50 minutes, plus standing timeCook 15 minutesMakes 15

A classic North Indian deep-fried leavened flatbread that puffs up into an airy, hollow balloon. It has a crisp, golden exterior and a soft, slightly tangy, tender crumb.

Ingredients

01
Plain yogurt · Dahi
127 g125 ml
dairy
02
Granulated sugar · Cheeni
8 g2 teaspoons
sweetener
03
Plain flour · Maidaplus extra for dusting
500 g
flour
04
Semolina · Sooji
100 g
flour
05
Baking powder
2 g½ teaspoon
other
06
Baking soda · Meetha Soda
~0.3 gpinch
other
07
Salt · Namak
~0.3 gpinch
salt
08
Vegetable oil · Telplus extra for oiling and deep-frying
27 g2 tablespoons
oil/fat

Method

  1. Whisk 127 g plain yogurt, 8.4 g granulated sugar, and 250 g water together in a bowl until well blended.
  2. Sift 500 g flour, 100 g semolina, 0.5 teaspoon baking powder, 0.3 g bicarbonate of soda, and 0.3 g salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a hollow in the center, pour in the yogurt mixture, and bring everything together into a soft dough.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Incorporate 27 g vegetable oil into the dough, knead until smooth, then place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
  4. Divide the rested dough into 15 portions and shape into smooth balls. With lightly oiled palms, press and flatten each ball into a disc roughly 13 to 15 cm (5 to 6 inches) in diameter.
  5. Fill a kadhai or deep, heavy pan with enough vegetable oil for deep-frying and heat to 180°C (350°F). Slide the dough rounds into the oil one or two at a time and fry until fully puffed and golden-brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Don't have something?

Plain yogurt
  • Yogurt

    Use equal weight, whisked thoroughly until smooth before adding to hot dishes to prevent curdling.

  • Coconut milk

    Use equal weight with 1 teaspoon lemon juice mixed in. Provides rich creaminess in curries, but adds a noticeable coconut flavour.

  • Single cream

    Use 80% of the weight plus a squeeze of lemon juice for acidity. Enriches sauces nicely, though it is richer and less tangy.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Plain flour
  • Whole wheat flour

    Use the same weight, add 10–15% more water and rest the dough for 20 minutes; the result is heavier and nuttier.

  • Rice flour

    Use the same weight for crisp coatings; for doughs use no more than half rice flour with wheat flour, or it will be crumbly.

  • Cornflour

    For thickening use half the weight, mixed with cold water; it is not suitable for bread or chapati dough.

Semolina
  • Coarse semolina

    Use the same weight. Soak 10 minutes longer and cook 2–3 minutes more; texture will be more granular.

  • Fine semolina

    Use the same weight. It cooks faster, so reduce cooking time by 2 minutes and stir well to avoid lumps.

  • Cream of wheat

    Use the same weight. It behaves like fine semolina; cook 1–2 minutes less and add liquid gradually.

Baking powder
  • Baking soda

    Use 25% of the baking powder's weight (e.g. 1 g for 4 g) and add 2 g cream of tartar or 1 tsp lime juice per 100 g flour. Mix quickly and bake at once.

  • Bicarbonate of soda

    Same as baking soda: use 25% of the weight with an acid such as cream of tartar, lemon juice or yogurt. Expect a slightly soapy taste if overused.

  • Self-raising flour

    Replace the plain flour plus baking powder with the same weight of self-raising flour; omit added baking powder and reduce salt slightly.

Baking soda
  • Baking powder

    Use 4 times the weight (1 g soda ≈ 4 g baking powder). It already contains acid, so reduce or omit added lemon or yogurt.

  • Self-raising flour

    For baking, swap plain flour plus soda for self-raising flour; omit the soda and adjust salt. Not suitable for recipes where soda is used for colour or texture.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Similar dishes

Ulte Tawe ka Paratha
Paratha Cooked on the Griddle
Ulte Tawe ka Paratha tastes sweet and aromatic from khus and cashew, with a tender flaky ghee-rich texture, while this dish tastes tangy and is crisp and puffed from deep-frying.
  • Same: Ulte Tawe ka Paratha shares plain flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt with this dish, and both are leavened flatbreads cooked with fat.
  • Different: Ulte Tawe ka Paratha lacks this dish's yogurt, semolina, baking soda, and vegetable oil, and it is griddle-cooked with ghee rather than deep-fried; it adds milk, cashew paste, and khus essence and is layered.
Girda
Kashmiri Fermented Bread
Girda has a nuttier, more savory taste from the ghee and poppy seeds, without the oily finish of this dish.
  • Same: Girda shares plain yogurt, sugar, and salt with this dish to produce a crisp crust and a soft, tangy interior.
  • Different: Girda is baked rather than deep-fried, uses ghee instead of vegetable oil, and incorporates a wholemeal dough topped with poppy seeds.
Kerala Paratha
Kerala Paratha tastes richer from milk, egg, and ghee and less tangy than this dish, with flaky crisp layers instead of a puffed hollow crumb.
  • Same: Kerala Paratha shares with this dish a plain-flour base, sugar, salt, and baking soda as leavening.
  • Different: Kerala Paratha uses egg, milk, peanut oil, butter, and ghee and is layered and flaky, while this dish uses yogurt, semolina, baking powder, and vegetable oil and is deep-fried.
Malabari Paratha
Paratha from Malabar
Malabari Paratha tastes rich and buttery with flaky layers, while this dish tastes tangy from yogurt and puffs into a soft hollow crumb.
  • Same: Malabari Paratha shares plain flour and baking powder with this dish, and both are golden flatbreads.
  • Different: Malabari Paratha uses egg, milk, sugar and butter and is layered and griddle-cooked, while this dish uses yogurt, semolina, baking soda and vegetable oil and is deep-fried; neither list includes spices.