Tiscali Lifestyle Food and Drink

A very common Punjabi snack, bhatura is deep-fried leavened bread served with spiced chickpeas. Every Sunday you can find it served in Sikh temples, after the morning service.

Ingredients

7 oz self raising flour
8 oz natural yoghurt
Vegetable oil

Method

Sift the flour. Add a tablespoon of yoghurt and mix. Continue to add yoghurt, a little at a time, and knead the flour until you have a soft dough. This will take about ten minutes. The more you knead, the better your bhaturas. Cover the mixture in the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it for an hour.

Rub some oil into the palms of your hands and make medium-sized dough balls (ten to 12). Heat some oil (in a chip pan, karahi or wok) over medium heat. Take a dough ball and roll it into a circular shape - about four inches in diameter - using a rolling pin. If it sticks to the surface use additional flour or cooking oil to prevent it from sticking.

When the oil is hot drop in a bhatura. (Check it is hot enough by dropping in a small marble-sized dough ball. If it rises quickly and starts to fry then it is hot enough.) Flip the bhatura over after 6-8 seconds and gently press down with a slotted spoon. The bhatura should inflate like a balloon. But don't despair if it doesn't - with practice you will get it right. Flip it over again and leave for another ten seconds. The bhatura should be a light golden colour.

Take it out of the pan and let it drain on kitchen roll. The whole frying process should not take more than a minute. Repeat for each and serve.

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