ਭਟੂਰਾ

Bhatura (ਭਟੂਰਾ), also spelled bhatoora, is a deep fried leavened bread from Punjab: a fermented flour and yogurt dough rolled into discs that puff up like balloons in hot oil. Paired with spiced chickpea chole as chole bhature, it is a celebrated Punjabi breakfast.

What does bhatura mean in Punjabi?

Bhatura names the bread: one bread is a bhatura, and two or more are bhature, which is why the famous pairing is called chole bhature. It is a leavened bread, and that is what separates it from the puri it resembles. A puri is small, unleavened and fries up tight and crisp, while a bhatura is larger, made from a dough that has been left to ferment, so it fries up soft, pale and pillowy with a slight tang. The original dough was simply white flour, yogurt and ghee.

Why does a bhatura puff up in the oil?

The puff is gas at work. Yogurt, and in modern recipes a little yeast or baking soda, makes the rested dough full of tiny bubbles. Slid into properly hot oil, those bubbles expand at once while the surface of the disc sets around them, so the bread balloons into a hollow pillow. Dhaba cooks help it along by pressing the centre lightly with the frying spoon as it rises. Eaten straight from the kadhai it is crisp at the edges and soft inside; left standing, it slowly settles and turns chewy, which is why bhature are always served hot.

Where did chole bhature become famous?

The bread is Punjabi, but the pairing found its modern fame in Delhi. Food writers trace chole bhature as a set dish to Delhi in the 1940s, and after the Partition of 1947 Punjabi families who moved to Delhi brought the combination with them, until it became one of the capital's signature street foods. The plate is completed with sliced onions, green chillies, a wedge of lemon and pickle, and very often a tall glass of lassi to wash down the spice and the richness together.