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Bhature is a fluffy deep-fried Indian bread, usually served along with Punjabi Chole. The combination of chole bhature tastes heavenly.
It was a Saraswati Puja yesterday.
At times I think about how traditions get lost with every generation. While the newer generations attribute it to progressive thinking, I sometimes feel that we are taking it a bit too far.
We are failing to understand where to draw the line. Or, at least that is what I think.
There is a mad rush for “monkey see, monkey do”. We just want to emulate others, without even thinking or, analyzing if it is the right thing for us.
Nevertheless, back to our topic of Saraswati Puja.
When we were kids Saraswati Puja, used to be the best time of the year. Waking up at 5 in the morning, getting ready for the puja, bringing the idol of Devi Saraswati to home and then the puja and other activities associated with it, everyone of these things used to be a celebration for us.
The best part was the evenings. After the evening puja, we would serve the dinner, which used to be Khichdi served with a bundle of accompaniments that included baingan ka jhukka (a recipe using Brinjal), aloo ka bhartha (potato mashed), tomato chutney, coriander chutney, curd, papad, pickle and a few more.
And then starts the night of staying awake. This was the part that we would wait for. The night would be with bhajans, songs, dances, and some games.
The games were so much fun that we would pray that it would never end. We would stay awake the entire night and not even realize it. Such was the enthusiasm.
One thing about these festivals is that it is time for the entire family to come together. This played a huge part in strengthening the relationships between each one of them.
But with the advent of modernism and the kind of fast lifestyle that we have slipped into, such celebrations of festivals are being considered as a waste of time.
Celebrations have reduced and so have the get-togethers. And with get-togethers being considered as a waste of time, relationships are weakening and are becoming fragile.
No wonder, they easily break these days.
I pray that our kids realize the importance of all of these – the festivals, traditions, culture, celebrations and finally the relationships.
Onto the recipe for this week then.
Chole Bhature Recipe – How to Make Bhature Recipe
Chole Bhature is one of that tasty street food which I love the most and it tastes, even more, better when it is homemade. Chole bhature is generally served with sukhe aloo, spiced chili , and some instant carrot and chili pickle. Though bhature is considered a Punjabi food now it is prepared almost in every part of India.
You might also like:
Chole Bhature Recipe – How to Make Chole Recipe
Restaurant Style Pav Bhaji Recipe
Chole Bhature Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Maida All purpose flour
- 1 cup Curd
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- Oil to deep fry
- Water if needed
Instructions
- Add maida, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and mix everything well.
- Add curd to it and give it a nice mix.
- Now add very little water if required and begin to knead.
- Finaly take very little oil in your palm and apply it to the dough and knead it again to make a smooth and soft dough.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and set aside in a warm place for about 5 hours to allow natural fermentation to take place.
- Heat oil in a kadai or pan for deep frying.
- And before you start making bhatura knead the dough once again.
- Take a small portion of the dough and make a small to medium size ball of it.
- Lightly coat the rolling surface with oil and roll out the dough into a approx 4 inch round.
- Slide the bhatura into the oil and gently keep pressing it down with a slotted spoon until it puffs up.
- Flip bhatura to the other side and gently press it in the oil. Cook until golden brown.
- Remove on kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Follow the same process for the rest of the dough.
- Serve hot along with chole.
Notes
Nutrition
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You make an excellent point about how things have changed, Puja. Life is all about go-go-go faster-faster-faster these days, and we don’t stop to enjoy time with families. It makes me wonder what my son’s generation will be like when they are adults. As parents, it’s our job to at least try and pass these traditions and memories along. I’ve never had Bhature, but I do love making bread. I’ll have to try it out soon!
Thank you David. 🙂
I would love this with some spicy chili! It looks wonderful Puja.
Thank you Marcie. 🙂