Bakarkhani

Bakarkhani is a crispy, spiced, and layered flatbread with the most interesting back story. It is slightly sweet and similar to Sheermal. This was recommended by one of my Hyderabadi friends. I found this recipe by Sanjeev Kapoor and tried it out and it came out pretty well.

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Vishesh Tippani / Additional Commentary

I think this is the Salman Khan of Rotis - This roti was cooked up by an aristocrat from Bengal (Aga Bakar Khan), in memory of a woman he loved but could not be with (Begum Khani). If Bollywood ever makes a movie on this, I think Salman Khan would be the perfect choice for Aga Bakar Khan!

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What do I need?

• Refined flour (maida) 2 cups

• Baking powder ½ teaspoon

• Salt to taste

• Sugar 2½ teaspoons

• Milk ¾ cup

• Fresh yeast crumbled 1 tablespoon ( I used Active Dry Yeast)

• Raisins 12-14

• Charoli/chironji 1 tablespoon

• Screw pine (kewda) water 1 teaspoon

• Ghee melted 5 tablespoons

• Almonds blanched, peeled and sliced 10

How do I make it?

• Sieve together refined flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

• Add sugar to the milk and heat in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or till the sugar melts. Remove from heat and mix.

• Place yeast in another bowl, add ¼ cup (50 ml) of warm water and set aside to dissolve for 3 minutes. If using active yeast - follow instructions to activate the yeast (leave in warm water 105-110 degrees F)

• Soak raisins and chironji in ½ cup warm water and set aside for 5 minutes.

• Make a well in center of the sieved flour, add sweetened milk, screw pine water and dissolved yeast and mix to make soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 10 minutes.

• Gradually add 3 tablespoons of melted ghee to the dough and knead till it gets incorporated into the dough. Add almonds, raisins and chironji. Knead, cover and keep it in a warm place for 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise.

• Preheat the oven to 240º C.

• Divide the dough into equal portions, make balls, cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

• Flatten balls and roll them out into oblong shapes of ¼ cm thickness. Prick the entire surface with a fork.

• Arrange them on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

• Remove from oven and serve hot

Keep calm and call mom tips:

• If using store-bought active dry yeast, make sure it's not more than 6 months old and the water temperature is at 105-110 F

• If the yeast does not foam after 10 minutes, you need to get another package

• Store yeast in the fridge or freezer

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Accompaniments

1. Yummy enough to eat it as is with some ghee

2. Refer to my friend's post on other Hyderabadi dishes you can serve.