Bhatura (Bhature)

Chole or Chana Masala, a spicy garbanzo bean curry that is popularly found on most Indian restaurant menus, is almost always paired with Bhatura or Bhature. The bhatura recipe is a little different than the standard poori (puri) recipe in that the dough is made with a leavening agent like yeast or baking soda. In this video, we will show you a yeast free (no yeast) bhatura recipe as well as one with it…you decide which one you prefer!

Prep Time: 10 mins plus 1 hour dough resting time
Cook Time: 15 mins
Makes 4-5 Bhature

Ingredients: (Recipe with Yeast)

All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 1 cup, sifted
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1/2 tsp
Rapid Rise Yeast – 1/2 tsp (if using dry active yeast, dissolve it with the sugar in the warm water and let it foam up before adding to the flour)
Yogurt – 1/4 cup (use thick yogurt)
Warm Water – approx 2 Tbsp (give or take 1 tsp)

Method:

1. Add All Purpose Flour and Salt to a large bowl. Mix.
2. Add Oil and incorporate it well into the flour.
3. Add Sugar and Rapid Rise Yeast and mix.
4. Add Yogurt and Warm Water (slowly) to form a soft dough. Knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Drizzle a few drop of oil to coat the dough, cover with a damp paper or cloth towel and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
6. Heat Oil for deep frying.
7. Knead dough once again and divide into 4-5 equal portions.
8. Lightly coat rolling surface with oil and roll out dough into a approx 5-6 inch round (note: dough tends to stretch back so make round bigger than needed).
9. Carefully slide bhatura into the hot oil and gently keep pressing down with a slotted spoon until it puffs up. (approx 30 secs to 1 min)
10. Flip Bhatura to other side and gently press into the oil. Cook for 30 secs to 1 minutes, until golden brown, and remove onto a paper towel lined plate.
11. Continue with remaining Bhature.
12. Serve Hot with Chole or Chana Masala

Ingredients (Recipe without Yeast):

All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 1 cup
Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1/2 tsp
Yogurt – 1/4 cup
Warm Water – approx 2 Tbsp

Method:

1. Sift together All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda and Salt into a large bowl.
2. Add Oil and incorporate well into flour.
3. Add Sugar, Yogurt, Warm Water (slowly) and knead to form a soft dough. Knead for 4-5 minutes until soft and elastic.
4. Drizzle a few drop of oil to coat the dough, cover with a damp paper or cloth towel and let it rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. Heat Oil for deep frying.
6. Knead dough once again and divide into 4-5 equal portions.
7. Lightly coat rolling surface with oil and roll out dough into a approx 5-6 inch round (note: dough tends to stretch back so make round bigger than needed).
8. Carefully slide bhatura into the hot oil and gently keep pressing down with a slotted spoon until it puffs up. (approx 30 secs to 1 min)
9. Flip Bhatura to other side and gently press into the oil. Cook for 30 secs to 1 minutes, until golden brown, and remove onto a paper towel lined plate.
10. Continue with remaining Bhature.
11. Serve Hot with Chole or Chana Masala

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0 thoughts on “Bhatura (Bhature)

  1. hi

    just wanted to know that can we use baking powder instead of baking soda…also just wanted to know that we live in belgium n the yogurt which we get here does nt taste the same as in india we get….so will the one we get here be fine too…..

  2. Hi Hetal & Anuja,

    My hearty congratulations on your wonderful job.
    I tried the bhaturas with Baking soda.
    They tasted awesome, but, they dint puff up like yours did. they were flat.
    What could be the possible reason?

    1. Hi Buvana,

      As with anything that is rolled out, it is sometimes a hit or miss when it comes to puffing. If you followed the recipe exactly, the temperature of the oil or how the bhatura is rolled can make a difference.

  3. Hi ladies,

    Ur dishes look great. M a frequent visitor to ur website. Only complaint is that u never reply to my questions. So, this time let me give it a last try. I have few questions, plz ans them in the same order.

    1. Are self raising flour and maida(all purpose flour) one n the same thing?
    2. Can all the items prepared wid maida, prepared with self raising flour?

    Eagerly awaiting ur reply,
    Thanx n regards

    1. So sorry Vidhi. Sometimes, comments just fall through the crack for us as we have so many each day… it is by no means intentional.

      1. Self rising flour and all purpose flour (maida) are not the same. Self rising flour is all purpose flour (maida) with baking powder and salt already added.
      2. You can use self rising flour instead of maida if the recipe calls for a leavening agent (baking powder) and salt. Just reduce the amount from the rest of the recipe. One cup of self rising flour has approx 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. You cannot substitute self rising flour for maida if your recipe does not need a leavening agent.

    1. Hi Suparna,

      We tried many different variations of this recipe and came up with one that works really well. You can try the one with yeast without the yogurt, but you may lose some of the softness. The yeast-free one will need the yogurt to activate the baking soda.

  4. Hey,

    You guys rock!
    I just love all your recipes, please do me a favor, i am looking for a healthy pure vegetarian breakfast, please make something like that as soon as possible.

    looking forward to your reply and response………

  5. Hi hetal & anuja,

    I m having my friend coming home for lunch this weekend.I m going to make chole bhatura for them.I just had one question with bhature the normal chole goes good or their will be some diffrence in recipe. Actually i remember my sister cooking chole bhature and she added boiled tea water( chai patti ka pani) and she added little sugar too.
    I m looking forward for ur reply.. Thanks

    Vamakshi

      1. Thanks anuja,

        I m gonna try one with teabag in it.may be will add a tsp of sugar too. My friend is expecting a baby in next month. I m happy that i will be able to cook this for her. Thanks again..
        Keep rocking …

  6. Tried both vrsions-Liked the yeast version better. Not sure if I added too much baking powder,but the baking powder Bature were a little bitter

    1. hi sonal,

      I dont think in bhature recipe u can replace yogurt.
      yogurt change yeast in active form so cant be replaced .

      vamakshi

  7. Hello
    Thanks for the recipe.
    I tried it but while frying , my bhaturas did not rise, I am expert in frying puris, so i think i was frying it right. do you think i should have added more baking soda?

    Thanks

  8. Hi Hetal and Anuja

    The much awaited recipe is finally there!!!

    One question: If we want to double the quantity of Maida flour (eg.: 2 cups), does the ratio of Baking Soda/ Yeast and Yoghurt also change accordingly?

  9. Never tried batura, but I will try & hopefully it will turn out fine.
    Thank you so much for the great effort you take.Well done.

  10. Anuja, I understand that Hetal added sugar to her dough to provide food for the yeast as yeast grows really fast when sugar is there. Why did you add sugar when you did not use yeast in your dough?

    I always make bhaturas with yeast but I will try the baking powder one soon. Will let you know my thoughts when I do.

    Loved the presentation in the video. I tried the masala chana recipe you girls gave us and they turn out awesome.

    Oh – another thing I noted, if you roll out the bhaturas when the dough is still warm, they do not shrink/pull back while rolling that much. Helps a lot when one is making them for a large group of people.

  11. I tried Anuja’s method last evening. While the bhaturas puffed up beautifully, they were soft, not crisp. Also, I had a hard time rolling them out, as the bhaturas pulled back in, so they were a little thick. Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed them thoroughly.

  12. Hi Anuja & Hetal,

    Thanks for the wonderful recipe,looks YUMMY!!!Am going to try one of the versions today. When I want to make a perfect dish, I know I can rely on you guys coz you give perfect measurements.was waiting for this recipe.

    I can tell now itself that it is going to come out perfectly, perfect for the cold weather outside:)

    P.S-I tried your rava idlis the other day and my idli-hater husband just loved it:)

    Thanks!!

  13. Heeyyy Hetal and Anuja !
    Thank for the recipe. I love your recipes, and I have tried alot of them, and the result is always fantastic !!

    Thanks alot for the great recipes 🙂

  14. Dear Hetal And Anuja
    i love your recipes and have also tried some of them.My daughter has Celiac Diseases(wheat allergy)Can you suggest what could be used instead of wheat semolina or all purpose flour to make to prepare indian dishes so she can also enjoy all the dishes.I will be really grateful to you.

  15. Do you guys have matar/kulcha (a street food) recipe on ur list-to do.Frankly speaking i make matar at home but really miss kulcha as I dont know how to make it ,and its not available here in canada.So can i plz request you guys to include it in ur list and give us a foolproof recipe!

    love all ur recipes!

    Thanks

  16. hello ladies,
    superb video…bhaturas puffed up beautifully.

    I would love to share a secret with you-
    instead of making the dough, i bring flour tortillas from the grocery store and just fry it. It tastes just like the Bhaturas which we get at the Indian restaurant.

    But still its our pleasure to watch your video and try new recipes. complete HOME-MADE always tastes yummy !

    waiting for the next one …

    Good luck !!

    1. Hi sana..you have given great tip..can u suggest any brand of tortillas and which section can I find it..is it in frozen section..thanks

  17. Anuja you were fabulous…Very nice outfit. Love the way you have explained. Thank you Hetal and Anuja for the wonderful recipe. I’m going to make Batura this WE.

  18. We just had chole bhatura this past weekend… Nice to know how to make it from scratch.. always comes in handy…But just wanted to share this quick store bought option.
    Buy frozen dinner rolls… preheat oven to 200F – switch the oven off – place frozen dinner rolls on a oven safe cookie dish on a greased surface and leave them in for an hour.. they will rise and fluff up… roll them and deep fry them… yummy and cuts a lot of work! Great for when you have unexpected guests joining you for dinner!

    1. Hi Satya,
      We have heard of that as well and it’s such a great tip for folks and so convenient.
      Further on your tip – I experimented with your style and one my style (right out of the freezer – allowed it to sit on the counter and defrost – 10-20 min) rolled it and fried both. Really I did not think there was any difference.
      Next time you have guests, pull out the dough, allow it to defrost on the counter and fry 🙂
      Having said that – it’s a quick and a great tip, but I do miss the sourness of the yogurt when I eat these.

  19. Hi Hetal and Anuja..

    I would say dnt use nethng(yeast or Baking soda)..just use Club soda to bind to atta..tht works
    My school was just next to HAVMOR in India, a famous restaurant of which chole bhatura is very famous and they use to make it with soda.

    Likewise I also use Pepsi or Coke in Chocolate cake and it raises superbly..

    1. Hi Priyanka,
      Yes, we have heard of that being used but Club Soda has the Sodium in it so it is the same ingredients going in 🙂
      Love HaveMore (on Pandara Road) 🙂

    1. Hi Kunwar,
      Bhatura is usually made out of Maida (All Purpose Flour) and puris are made with Atta.
      Having said that, you may be able to use Atta but the recipe and the flavor will be different – honestly, we have never tried it…

  20. Hi Girls,

    You r on rock, Can I use whole wheat atta because I want something healthy and yummy so please let me know.
    Can u give Naan receipe also please?
    Keep it up good work, Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Hi Purvi,

      You may be able to use Atta but the recipe and the flavor will be different (more like Puris) – honestly, we have never tried it…
      You mentioned that you want to use Atta for health reasons – well, these Bhaturas are fried and unfortunately, all health related aspects are out of the window 🙁
      Once in a ways, it is okay to indulge 🙂

      Here is the Naan recipe:
      https://34.233.61.50/breads/naan.html

      1. Hi,
        I always make puri with chole becouse bhaturas are not healthy and I love chole. I make bhaturas may be once a while.

  21. Hi, awesome recipe. Gonna try it very soon. My question may sound really weird… What is the difference between atta and maida? Can atta be used for this recipe? Thanks! Appreciate your reply. 🙂 love the way you present your videos.

    1. Hi Radha,

      Maida or All Purpose Flour is a mix of soft and hard wheat and is ground from the endosperm of the kernel.
      Atta or Whole Wheat Flour is ground from Whole Wheat Berries and has all 3 parts of the kernal – endosperm, bran and the germ.

      Barn and germ being the healthier parts of the kernal makes the Atta a healthier option.

      For this recipe – you can use Atta but then it will look and taste like Puri with yeast. The recipe, the look and the taste will change as well. We, honestly have never tried it with Atta.

  22. I looked up the chole recipe — got to make it. But I’ve been wondering for some time what kind of/brand pressure cooker you use.

  23. Use selfrising all purpose flour, add some oil and water .Make a smooth dough.It’s very easy and simple.Try this and let me know.

    1. I use self-rising flour as well, and add in some yogourt and knead with buttermilk (if you have it, otherwise water will work). Anyway, thanks for the recipe Hetal and Anuja as I LOVE chole bhature!

  24. Hi Hetal/Anuja

    I tried both. But the ones with yeast came out much better. Wonderful. One request, Please teach how to make Ravioli soon. I love it, but can’t make it at home.

    Thanks for all these wonderful recipes
    And keep up the great work.

  25. Excellent recipes- very well presented. I’d like to try out both methods, but since I do not have yeast at home, I’ll try Anuja’s method first, and then Hetal’s. But, I will certainly try both methods. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

  26. Hi,
    Cool recipe. But I have a question how do I test if my oil is hot for this recipe? I have made this before without yeast & baking soda. But it was a disaster then. Will try both your methods and come up with my own verdict 🙂
    Keep Rocking!!
    Jayashree

  27. Hi Anuja & Hetal,

    Thanks a lot for the recipe, it looks awesome.
    I use Maida, salt, sugar, oil and one white bread soaked into water (hot water)instead of yeast for the bhatura, rest of the process is same as yours.
    But I will definitely try your recipe.

  28. You guys are killing me. We are in cold, icy, snowy Indiana getting prepared for power outages and eating cold food for days.. and you are posting yummy recipes 🙁
    I’m definitely going to try this when the ice age is over.

  29. Hi Hetal, Anuja,
    Thanks so much for this.. Love baturas.. all time favourite but get only to eat few times a year.. hahha..
    Can the vegetarians eat yeast ?

    1. Hi Gayatri,
      Yeast is a single-celled organism that is classified as Fungi. It is said to be suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
      Having said that it is a personal call – if you are uncomfortable, try the recipe that uses Baking Soda 🙂

      1. Thank you Anuja for explaining. Great.. I will try with baking soda..I saw the one you made came out quite good and also Hetals.. but i just have one concern.. Hetal’s looked uniformed fried and yours looked little on a darker side. Is it bec she used yeast and u used baking soda?
        Thanks for clarifying..
        I am huge fan of your website, you & Hetal 😀

        1. No Gayatri – we think it’s the heat oil – that is the difference. As you fry, the heat of the oil keeps varying. The ones me afterwards all turned out uniform.
          🙂

  30. hi anuja and hetal
    i tried yesterday only bhatura with yeast.
    if i want to do any other time i will use bakingsoda.
    i love your recipes,the way u cook.
    i tried more recipes.
    i tried dosakai pickle,with 3 days its finished.

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