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Bhaturu
भटूरू: Kangra and Kullu fermented wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced dal (plus 8–10 hours fermenting)
Bhaturu is the breakfast bread of the Kangra and Kullu valleys, made from wheat dough left to ferment overnight with a little old starter or curd until it is light and sour, then rolled out, sometimes stuffed with a spiced lentil filling, and baked on the griddle. It is eaten hot with ghee, a tangy chutney or the madra left from the night before, and is a fixture at village fairs. Ferment it somewhere warm (25–30 °C) for 8–10 hours; it should smell pleasantly sour and be bubbly. Discard the dough if it smells of nail varnish, turns pink, grey or fuzzy, or has a slimy feel. The common mistake is rolling it thin like a chapati, which loses the soft crumb; keep it as thick as your little finger. Chef's tip: cook it on a medium, not fierce, tawa so the centre bakes through before the outside burns.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz wholewheat flour (atta)
- 3 ½ oz plain curd (yogurt)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup lukewarm waterapproximately
For the filling
- 1 green chillichopped
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp salt
To cook
- 3 tbsp ghee
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz wholewheat flour (atta), 3 ½ oz plain curd (yogurt), 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, then add ¾ cup lukewarm water gradually and knead 8 minutes into a soft, sticky dough. Cover and leave in a warm place (25–86°F) for 8–10 hours, until puffed and bubbly with a pleasant sour smell. If it smells of solvent, shows pink, grey or fuzzy patches, or feels slimy, throw it away.
600 minStep 2: For the filling, drain 3 ½ oz split black gram (urad dal), soaked 3 hours and grind coarsely with 1 green chilli, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 1 tsp fennel seeds and ½ tsp salt without water to a thick paste.
5 minStep 3: Knock back the dough and divide into 6 balls. Flatten each into a 10 cm disc, put a spoonful of filling in the centre, gather the edges and seal.
10 minStep 4: Gently pat or roll each ball into a round about 1 cm thick, dusting with flour.
5 minStep 5: Heat a tawa over medium heat. Cook each bhaturu 3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until it puffs slightly and has brown spots.
6 minStep 6: Brush with 3 tbsp ghee and cook 30 seconds more on each side until crisp at the edges. Tap the centre: it should sound hollow. Serve hot.
24 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bhaturu take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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