East Indian Wedding Bread called Orias or Bhokache Varias

For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these doughnut-shaped breads are just delicious. Serve with Vindaloo or Sorpatel or even Pickle and Green Chutney.

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Orias, also know as Varias are an East Indian doughnut-shaped bread made for EI weddings and special occasions. They are also called Worias, Waras, or Bhokyaci Wadai in East Indian Marathi, because of the bhoka (hole) in the bread.

This lentil flour bread is quite tasty and no traditional East Indian wedding would be complete without it, just like the traditional wedding pickle. Traditionally, the Varias or orias were prepared and also distributed to the village folk in the event of a wedding coming up in the family.

Varias are part of a wide variety of delicious East Indian breads that are served along with some really tasty dishes. To learn how to make some tasty Orias, try your hand at our recipe below.

what Ingredients do you need to make Orias?

You need 3 different types of flour to make Orias namely urad dal flour aka split black gram, maida aka all-purpose flour, and rice flour. You also need sugar, salt, yeast, and water; as well as oil for frying. Yes, they’re a bit more complicated than Irish soda bread!

Sometimes we also add optional spices like chili flakes, pepper and cumin and herbs like oregano for added flavour.

How To Make Orias?

Mix the urad dal flour, rice flour, and maida in a vessel. Next, add in the powdered sugar and also yeast. Add water to this and mix well.

Note: If using bakery yeast, you might need to proof it first. We use active dry yeast or instant yeast so that we can add it straight in.

Add salt and knead everything into a dough. Allow the dough to rest overnight so it has plenty of time to ferment and rise.

In the morning, you will notice that the batter has risen considerably. We sometimes add spices and herbs like pepper, cumin, and oregano for additional flavour. This is totally upto you, it is a new twist to the recipe. You can leave it plain as well.

Form small dough balls of the batter and then take a ball on the palm of your hand and flatten it. With your finger make a hole in the center and shape it like a doughnut or a ring. Make these and keep them aside in a thali.

When your varia shapes are all ready, heat some oil in a kadai and deep fry the Orias in the oil. They will rise to the top of the oil, turn them over on both sides every few minutes.

It should take a total of about 4-5 minutes until each of them turns golden brown. Remove from the oil when ready and place them on a pan covered with paper towels to soak the excess oil.

And that’s it really! The bhokyache varias are ready!

Cooking Tips And Tricks

• Instead of yeast and water, you can also use toddy for fermentation.
• You can add spices and herbs for additional flavours.
• Use warm water if you need to activate the yeast. If no activation is required, then use water at room temperature.
• The sugar gives a slight sweetness to the Orias but can be skipped. 
• Serve with some delicious sorpotel, vindaloo, mutton khudi curry, lonvas curry, or chicken curry.

Reader Questions About Orias

What Are Varias or Wariyas Or Orias?

Varias are doughnut-shaped lentil breads made by the East Indian community in Bombay, India.

What Are The Other Names For Orias?

Orias are also called Wariyas, Varias, Worias, Waras, and Bhokyachi wadai’s in East Indian Marathi.

How Long Can Orias Be Stored For?

Orias can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks in an air-tight container and in the freezer for a couple of months. Reheat before serving.

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