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Learn Bhatia cooking

Kitchen skill 11 of 15

Steaming

Bafaru: steaming

Say it: bah-fah-roo · Hindi: bhafna

Bafaru is cooking with the heat of boiling water, without the food touching the water. Dhokra and muthia are steamed. Bhatias also say bafaru for boiled potatoes, chickpeas and lobia.

How to do it

  1. Bring water to the boil in a wide pan with a stand inside, or use a steamer.
  2. Grease a thali and pour in the batter.
  3. Set the thali on the stand, cover the pan and steam on a medium flame. Sooji ja Dhokra (semolina dhokra) takes 12–15 minutes.
  4. Let it cool a little and cut it into pieces. Some dhokras get their vaghar poured over the top; in Dhokra it is stirred into the batter before steaming.

You’ll know it’s right when

  • The dhokra has risen a little and springs back when pressed.
  • A knife pushed into the middle comes out clean.

Watch out for

  • Water touching the thali: the bottom turns soggy.
  • Lifting the lid again and again lets the steam out.

Tips

  • For Dhokra, the batter ferments for 9–10 hours or overnight first, so start the evening before.

Practise it

On the path to learning Bhatia cooking.

DhokraSteamed rice and lentil cakesStage 4: Nashto and breads

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