Indian Bhakri – Spiced Pearl Millet Flatbread
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Bhakri is a rustic Indian flatbread with a nutty flavour and crisp edges from pearl millet flour. Cumin, coriander and chilli add gentle warmth, while very hot water helps the gluten-free dough hold together. Serve it warm with dal, vegetable curry or yoghurt. • Different pearl millet flours absorb water differently, so add the final 20 ml gradually. • Shape and cook each bhakri straight away; rolled rounds tend to dry out and crack if left uncovered. • Use a hot but not smoking pan to create browned spots without scorching the spices. • Replace the fresh coriander with finely sliced spring onions. • For a milder flavour, use sweet paprika instead of hot chilli powder. • Replace the neutral oil with ghee if the bhakri do not need to be vegan or dairy-free. Bhakri are best eaten on the day they are made. Once cool, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month with baking paper between each flatbread. Reheat in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side; thaw frozen bhakri in the fridge first.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save recipeIngredients
- 240 gpearl millet flour (bajra atta), plus extra for shaping
- ½ tspfine salt
- ½ tspcumin seeds
- ½ tspground coriander
- ¼ tsphot chilli powder
- 2 tbspfinely chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tspfinely grated fresh ginger
- 210–230 mlvery hot water, not boiling
- 2 tspneutral oil, plus extra for greasing your hands
Instructions
- 1Combine the pearl millet flour, salt, cumin seeds, ground coriander and chilli powder in a medium bowl. Add the fresh coriander and ginger, then mix until evenly distributed.
- 2Gradually pour in 210 ml of the hot water while stirring with a wooden spoon. Once cool enough to handle, knead by hand for 2–3 minutes. Add more water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough is soft, moist and holds together without becoming runny; you may not need it all.
- 3Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Divide it into 6 equal balls and keep them covered to prevent drying.
- 4Heat a heavy-based or cast-iron frying pan, 25–28 cm wide, over medium heat for 4 minutes. It is ready when a drop of water skitters across the surface and evaporates within a few seconds.
- 5Place one dough ball between two sheets of baking paper lightly dusted with pearl millet flour. Flatten it first with your palm, then gently roll it into a 15–16 cm round about 3 mm thick. If the edges crack, press them together with damp fingers.
- 6Peel away the top sheet of paper, turn the bhakri onto your palm and remove the second sheet. Carefully transfer it to the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes, until the top looks dry and the edges lift slightly.
- 7Turn with a spatula and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Brush with a little oil, turn again and gently press around the edges for 20–30 seconds, until browned spots appear and no doughy areas remain. Repeat with the remaining dough, adjusting the heat if the bhakri brown before their centres dry out.
- 8Stack the cooked bhakri in a clean tea towel to keep them pliable. Serve warm.