Fried Wheat Bread Balls (Bhatoora)
Bhatoora is a fried Indian bread that balloons into a thin, golden shell with a hollow middle. This version uses wheat flour and yoghurt, with a small amount of yeast or baking soda for lift, and the dough rests for four hours before frying. That long rest and the very thin rolling are what give the big air pocket. Traditionally it is served hot beside a spiced chickpea curry, which fills the hollows nicely.
Instructions
Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.
If you are using yeast, stir it into ½ cup of lukewarm water and leave it for 10 minutes so it dissolves.
Work the ghee and sugar into the flour. Add the yoghurt along with the dissolved yeast, or the baking soda if you are using that instead. Add a little more lukewarm water only if the dough needs it.
Knead well with a little oil until the dough is soft and pliable.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave it aside for 4 hours.
Heat ghee in a frying pan. Divide the dough into small balls and roll each one out very thin.
Deep fry the rolled dough in the hot ghee until golden brown. Each piece should puff up a great deal and form a large airy pocket inside.
Lift the bhatoora out of the fat and serve hot with chickpea curry, known as channa or choley.
Make it personal.
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