VideoNEW
Podcasts
Blogs
Watch Video
Cuisine Category
Key Ingredient
Food Category
Special Consideration
Chana Bhatura recipe
- Cuisine: Indian
- 6
This is Pamela’s domestic-kitchen version of Sita Ram’s famous street snack. Traditionally, this is eaten for brunch at the weekend. Soak the chickpeas overnight.
Ingredients
300g (1½ cups) dried chickpeas, rinsed, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4cm piece ginger, finely chopped
1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground amchur*
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chilli, plus extra, to serve
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp ghee
1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds
½ tsp salt
Thinly sliced red onion, chopped coriander and lemon wedges, to serve
Bhatura
250g (1⅔ cups) plain flour
50g (¼ cup) semolina
½ tsp baking powder
1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 tsp peanut oil
¼ tsp salt
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Preparation
To make bhatura, sift flour, semolina, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Add sugar, yoghurt, peanut oil and ¼ tsp salt. Gradually add 125ml (½ cup) warm water and combine to make a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and rest dough for 2 hours.Rinse chickpeas under cold running water. Place in a large saucepan with 1.5L water, bay leaf, ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until chickpeas are soft but still hold their shape.
Stir in amchur and ground spices and return to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Melt ghee in a small pan over high heat until smoking. Stir in cumin seeds, then pour into chickpea mixture.* Add ½ tsp salt and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove and discard bay leaf.
Divide the bhatura dough into 12 golf ball-size balls. Roll out each ball on a work surface lightly dusted with flour until an 8cm round.
Fill a large saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 180°C (or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 10 seconds). Using a slotted spoon, carefully slide one round of dough into the hot oil and push down to submerge; it should instantly puff up. Fry bhatura, turning halfway, for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Remove a little of the chickpea mixture and roughly mash, then return to the pan. Season with salt and chilli.
Scatter onion and coriander over chickpea mixture and serve immediately with bhatura and lemon wedges.
*Ground amchur, also known as ground dried green mango, is available from Indian food shops; substitute the juice of 1 lemon for every teaspoon of ground amchur.
*Frying spices in hot ghee is called ‘tempering’. The hot ghee disperses the flavours, giving the chickpeas an intense spicy kick.
If you enjoyed this Chana Bhatura recipe then browse more Indian recipes, vegetarian recipes, prepare ingredients in advance recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
Indian Restaurants
Displaying 10 of 715 Indian Restaurants.
| Restaurant | Book Online | Suburb | |
| 1. | Royal India Restaurant | West Perth | |
| 2. | Gopal's Vegetarian Restaurant | Melbourne | |
| 3. | Jehangir | Mawson | |
| 4. | Jewel of India | Manuka | |
| 5. | Rama's | Pearce | |
| 6. | Tandoor House | Kingston | |
| 7. | Tandoor Indian Restaurant | Belconnen | |
| 8. | Hanuman | Darwin | |
| 9. | Keller's Swiss and Indian Restaurant | Alice Springs | |
| 10. | Taste of Asia | North Hobart |
Featured Food & Recipes
Hot Tips
Vanilla extract
Be careful to choose vanilla extract that is labeled as "pure" as opposed to the synthetic varieties. Vanilla essence is a stronger version of vanilla extract and only a couple of drops are required for a similar result.
Glossary
Sumac
A Middle Eastern spice obtained from a dried, ground reddish-purple berry. It has a strong tangy flavour and can be used as a souring agent.
