Babru
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A deep-fried bread stuffed with spiced black gram paste, often eaten with tamarind chutney; Himachal Pradesh’s answer to the kachori.
Region: Himachal PradeshOccasion: Breakfast, tea-time and festivalsTime: 1 hr + overnight soakingServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups wheat flour
- 1 tsp dry yeast or a little fermented dough (optional)
- ½ cup split black urad dal, soaked overnight
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil or other oil for frying
Method
- Knead the flour with water, salt and the yeast into a soft dough and leave it for 2–3 hours.
- Grind the soaked dal coarsely with green chilli, ginger, cumin and salt.
- Divide the dough into balls and press each into a small round.
- Place a spoonful of the dal paste in the middle, close it and roll it out gently.
- Deep-fry in hot oil until puffed and golden on both sides.
- Serve hot with tamarind chutney or with chana madra.
History
Babru is a home-style fried bread of the Himachali hills, filled with the black gram that farmers grow on their own terraces.
Significance
It is made for festivals and special breakfasts, and is also sold at small eateries in Shimla and other towns.