‘Pizza Bhatura’: A Viral Food Trending For All The Wrong Reasons
Image Credit: Pexels

How Did The Pizza Bhatura Become Viral?

The video was posted on X with the caption, "Say hola to Chloe Bhature pizza. Expect the Italians to ban all Indians for this.” The video begins with a guy putting green chutney onto a freshly cooked bhatura and then serving chole with chopped raw onions on top. 

After a brief bake in the oven, the bhatura resembles a pizza. He chops it into wedges and argues it's a healthier take on chole bhature. 

Capsicum, sweet corn and shredded paneer are all added to the meal for additional taste and texture. A hefty coating of grated cheese, topped with swirls of tandoori sauce and mayonnaise, takes it a step further. The video went popular on X, prompting anger and bewilderment from users who questioned if some cuisine combos should go untested. 

A Food Conflict Over The Viral Pizza Bhatura 

Pizza bhatura has stirred conflicting feelings since it blends two foods that people are passionate about. Bhatura is a renowned North Indian bread that is frequently associated with traditional meals in India, whereas pizza is a worldwide popular comfort dish with a dedicated fan following. 

By combining the two, the meal defies traditional notions of what each cuisine should look and taste like. Some regard pizza bhatura as a creative and fun combination that encourages culinary creativity. Others believe that adding pizza toppings to a deep-fried bhatura deviates from the dish's original purpose. 

The struggle between innovation and tradition is what drives the argument. One X user wrote, "Before Italians, Punjabis should ban this guy!" While another stated, "I saw clips of a genuine bhatura being used like this. But, considering that bhatura is a stolen notion from Europe as well (or a comparable idea), I believe they will spare us the ban." 

At the same time, many recipes and online videos have popped up where individuals are now trying their hand at the viral pizza bhatura, while the rest of the social media users are just shaking their heads no. Fusion foods are not always a flop; sometimes they win hearts and taste buds, yet one can clearly see that when it comes to popular comfort dishes such as pizzas and bhaturas, mixing them can wreak havoc across the food map of the world. If it needs to be summed up how people reacted to this novel creation, one X user mentions, “All I see is chole served directly on a kulcha. Innovation in the same sense as serving up chai with the biscuit already dipped in it."