Bakarkhani facts for kids
Bakorkhani being made in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They can be seen lining the walls of the tandoor oven.
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| Alternative names | Shukha |
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| Type | Bread |
| Course | Appetizer/Dessert |
| Associated national cuisine | Bangladesh, India and Pakistan |
| Main ingredients | Dough, ghee, milk, sugar (optional) |
| Variations | Gao-joban, Shuki (shukha), Nimshuki, Kaicha-ruti, Mulam, Chinshuki, Kashmiri |
Bakarkhani or Baqarkhani is a special kind of thick, spiced flat-bread. It is also known as bakar khani roti. This delicious bread comes from Mughlai cuisine, which was popular in the old Mughal Empire.
Bakarkhani is often made for certain Muslim religious festivals. Today, it is also enjoyed as a sweet bread. It has a texture that is a bit like a biscuit, with a firm crust. The main ingredients used to make Bakarkhani are flour, semolina, sugar, and ghee (which is clarified butter). Sometimes, it also includes molasses soaked in saffron, or poppy or nigella seeds, and salt.
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The Story Behind the Name
There's a famous story about how Bakarkhani got its name. It's named after a brave general called Mirza Agha Baqer. He was the son-in-law of Murshid Quli Khan II.
The legend says that Baqer, who was a general in Chittagong, fell in love with a dancer named Khani Begum. But another person, Zaynul Khan, was also interested in Khani. Zaynul caused trouble for Khani, and Baker stepped in to protect her.
Zaynul's friends told lies to his father, a powerful minister, saying Baker had harmed Zaynul. The minister was very angry and ordered Baker to be put in a cage with a tiger! But Baker was very brave and managed to defeat the tiger. Soon after, everyone found out that Zaynul was actually alive.
Later, Zaynul and his father kidnapped Khani. Baker went to rescue her, and during a big fight, sadly, both Zaynul and Khani were lost. Khani was buried in a place called Bakla-Chandradwip. Baker Khan built a tomb over her grave. Because of him, that area was later renamed Bakerganj.
Baker was already familiar with this area. He had land there in Barisal. This sad but brave love story of Baker Khan and Khani Begum inspired bakers. They decided to name Baker's favorite bread Bakerkhani in their honor. The very first Bakarkhani shop in Dhaka opened near Lalbagh Fort. Many Bakarkhani sellers in Dhaka today come from the Sylhet Division.
In the past, Bengal Subah, especially Mughal Dhaka, was a busy place for traders. Merchants came from all over the subcontinent and even from places like the Middle East and Armenia. Because of this trade and travel, Bakarkhani became popular far beyond Bengal. It spread to places like Kashmir, Bihar, Lucknow, and Hyderabad.
Where is Bakarkhani Popular?
Bakarkhani is a well-loved bread in many countries. You can find it in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and even Russia.
Some food historians say that Bakarkhani is the "pride" of Dhaka's food culture. Other experts agree that "Bakarkhani gives Old Dhaka a unique and distinct culinary identity." According to Hakim Habibur Rahman, a writer from the past, Bakarkhani could only be found in Dhaka during the colonial period.
How Bakarkhani is Made
To make Bakarkhani, bakers mix flour and ghee with water. Sometimes, they add cardamom, sugar, and salt. This mixture is kneaded to make a soft dough.
Then, the dough is flattened out. The bread is made by stretching the dough many times. Layers of ghee, molasses, saffron water, and poppy or nigella seeds are added between the layers. Finally, it is baked in a special clay oven called a tandoor or on a flat griddle called a tawa.
Different Kinds of Bakarkhani
Bakarkhani is sometimes called shukha (meaning 'dry') naan or shukha roti. This is because of its dry texture. Hakim Habibur Rahman, who wrote a book about old Dhaka, mentioned three types of Bakarkhani: Gao-joban, shuki (shukha), and nimshuki. There are also other kinds like kaicha-ruti, mulam, and chinshuki.
Outside of Dhaka, you can find different styles of Bakarkhani. In Sylhet and Chittagong, Bakarkhani is often sweet and syrupy, a bit like a porota. But in Dinajpur, it's thick and doughy. It often has pieces of sweet fruit preserve called morobba inside.
There is also a special Kashmiri version of Bakarkhani. This one is thinner and looks a bit like a round naan. However, it is crispy and has many layers. It's often sprinkled with sesame seeds. People in Kashmir usually eat it hot for breakfast, often with a special tea called noon chai.
Bakarkhani in Poems
Bakarkhani is so famous that it's even mentioned in poems! Here are some lines from a Bengali poem by Pratul Mukhopadhyay:
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‘আলু বেচো, ছোলা বেচো, বেচো বাকরখানি |
Sell potatoes, sell gram, sell Bakarkhani |
| —Pratul Mukhopadhyay |
