Bhakri (Indian Unleavened Rice Bread) Recipe

In India's rice belt, this puffy rice-based flatbread is an essential companion for curries and dals.

By
Denise D'silva Sankhé
Denise D'silva Sankhé is a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats.
Denise D'silva Sankhé

Denise is the author of The Beyond Curry Indian Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Through India. She wrote the popular Beyond Curry column for Serious Eats starting in 2012.

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Updated October 19, 2023
Overhead view of a bhakri flatbread, placed on a very large leaf with the unthreshed stem from a rice plant placed on top.
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Serious Eats / Prasanna Sankhe

Why It Works

  • Lightly pressing or dabbing the bhakri after flipping for the first time ensures they are in contact with the surface of the skillet, which allows the bread to cook evenly, puff up, and brown in spots.

Where there's a curry, there's usually a rice or roti preparation that's used to soak in or scoop up the flavorful sauce; in India's rice belt, bread made out of rice flour is common. Because it's unleavened, it can be made in just a matter of minutes—a few ingredients kneaded together, a little heat, and it's done. Bhakri, or rice bread, is rustic food at its best.

On my journeys through rural India, I have seen weathered farmers carry small steel lunch boxes that are opened halfway between breakfast and lunch to reveal a couple of bhakris with garlic chutney, thecha (a relish made with fresh green chiles, salt, and garlic), and a raw onion. They crush the onion and add a bit of everything into each morsel of torn bhakri. It's spicy, wholesome, and filling food that serves them well for the hard work they do all day in the sun.

Bhakris are slightly firmer than a naan or roti made from wheat, and puff up easily with just a bit of the heat. They taste best when hot and straight off the stove. They taste delicious with scrambled eggs, dals (lentil soups), or a chicken ghee roast.

This recipe was originally published as part of the column "Beyond Curry."

December 2013

Recipe Details

Bhakri (Indian Unleavened Rice Bread) Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 10 mins
Resting Time 5 mins
Total 35 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups rice flour (divided)

  • 1 cup water

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Combine 2 cups rice flour, water, and salt, and knead, adding more water or flour as necessary to create a dough that is pliable but not sticky. Continue kneading for 5 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 4 balls. Dust a rolling board and pin with remaining flour. Roll each ball into a round about 1/8-inch thick.

  2. Heat a bare cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place one rolled out bhakri on the hot skillet and press down lightly with spatula. Cook for 1 minute, then use a thin metal spatula to carefully flip. Use a clean kitchen cloth to firmly dab the bhakri on the skillet around its edges and center. Flip again and repeat dabbing with the cloth. Remove when small brown spots appear on both sides and the bhakri has puffed slightly. Serve immediately with curry, dal, scrambled eggs, or fried eggs.

Special Equipment

Mixing bowl, cast iron skillet, thin metal spatula

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
325Calories
1gFat
71gCarbs
5gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories325
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 0g2%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 106mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 71g26%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 0mg2%
Potassium 68mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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