How to make poori(deep-fried Indian bread).
Poori (also spelled Puri) is a deep-fried Indian bread made with whole-wheat flour and few teaspoons of semolina.
Crunchy, soft and deep-fried to a golden color, poori is often served for breakfast, as a snack or light meal and eaten with a savory curry or with sweet dishes.
Even though they are not your regular large deep-fried Indian bread, puris are quite filling.
you could easily make do with around 3 of these Indian bread with a side dish of your choice. The side dishes you choose for them can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
Some variations of poori.
- Masala Puri- a bigger version and contains a savory potato filling with some other veggies. This can be eaten on its own.
- Normal Puri is small-medium in size and the one that I am showing you in this recipe (resembles a Poppadam but thicker in texture).
- Pani Puri is a smaller/crispier version and very popular street food which also has either a savory/sweet filling and eaten in one go!
About this poori recipe.
This is an easy puri recipe for you to try out since the process and cooking time too is not very tedious.
In a nutshell – the main ingredient used is whole-wheat flour, I have also used a few teaspoons of semolina to give it crisp and crunch. the semolina does make a lot of difference.
The poori dough, once you combine, is not at all pliant or soft, I would call it a tight dough that would actually make your arms hurt with the work out of kneading it.
The dough is then made into smaller balls, rolled into disk and deep-fried.
The most important tool
when making poori.
As the Poori is needed to be deep-fried it is advisable to have a Skimmer-Mesh Deep Frying Spoon as shown in the picture below.
It is readily available in any Departmental Store/Supermarket too.
The advantage of using this as opposed to the normal frying spoon is its size and the ability to scoop the Poori/Puri out in one go while the oil drains out through the mesh.
If you are using a Normal Frying Spoon, do not make the Poori/Puri too big while rolling.
Beginner’s tips and ingredient
to make the perfect crispy poori.
- The whole-wheat flour you choose to make these Pooris can vary in texture and taste.
- Always use a good quality flour(preferably Indian) from a Local Indian Store or substitute it with your locally milled whole-wheat flour.
- The addition of ghee instead of oil makes it more fragrant and richer in taste but if you find ghee expensive in your part of the world you can use oil of your preference.
- As mentioned above, getting the correct consistency of the dough is your first step to success, once you knead the poori dough it will be quite tough, as in not pliant.
- Always keep the soft poori balls covered so they don’t dry out.
- Making smaller poori(4-5 diameter), makes it easy to fry, especially your first time making them. Always adjust the size of the puri according to your Frying Pan and Spoon.
- When deep-frying, avoid heating oil to a smoking point, maintain a steady medium heat for this purpose, regulate the heat from medium to low as you fry the poori.
- Let the poori rise up slightly from the surface of the oil before you press down to make the poori puff.
- Do not worry about the shape of the disc, as long as it’s circular it’s fine. Once fried you will see that the edges even out.
- Fry one poori at a time.
- Completely drain the oil and transfer the fried Pooris/Puris onto a wire rack.
This enables you to keep its shape intact and also stays crispier longer. If you drain the Pooris(Puris) onto a kitchen towel directly, the fried bread tends to re-absorb the oil from the towel and end up soggy and oily to touch and taste.
- I have made these a 3-4 hours ahead of time a few occasions, I believe the reason for this is the semolina, though not as crispy and soft it is edible and tasty.
- Caution should be exercised while frying as it can splutter. If you are the nervous kind to slide in the disc directly, transfer each disc onto the spoon and then gently immerse the spoon in the oil and let it fry.
- Last tip, if your poori does not rise, the fault can be that it has not been kneaded properly, please do keep trying. even if these deep-fried bread fails to rise, they are delicious.
Utensils and appliances needed
Large Mixing Bowl
Rolling Pin & Board
Deep Frying Pan
Skimmer Mesh/Normal Frying Spoon
Kitchen Towel
Dishes that can be enjoyed
with Poori/Puri:
beef korma curry(slow cooked Indian beef curry).
creamy fragrant butter chicken (Indian Murgh Makhani)
slow-cooked classic chicken Chettinad curry
mushroom peas masala curry (Indian recipe)
slow-cooked Indian beef and potato curry (aloo gosht).
More recipes like poori!
Indian Poori/Puri recipe.
Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Ingredients
2 cups Whole-wheat Flour(regular bread flour would do as well)
4 teaspoons of semolina
Luke Warm Water
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil/Ghee
1/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
Method
How to make the puri dough.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the Whole wheat flour (2 cups), salt (1/4-1 tsp), semolina(4 tsp). combine these dry ingredients well.
Add the Vegetable Oil/Ghee (2 tbsp) into the mixture and keep mixing until crumbly texture.
Gradually add water(1/4 cup)in intervals where you combine and add water to reach the stiff dough consistency needed for the poori.
Cover with a towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Separate the dough into balls (a little bigger than golf balls) and rub oil to prevent a crust forming.
You will find even forming the ball is difficult due to the tough dough but this is what you need.
Keep covered with a towel for a further 15 minutes.
Place the dough ball on your rolling board, sprinkle some flour and gently press down each ball with the palm of your hand.
Use the rolling pin, alternating between turning the flattened disk around with one hand and using a rolling pin to flatten out into disc shapes with the other.(Approximately 10-11cm in diameter and 10-15 mm in thickness).
Avoid the poori being rolled too thin.
Do not place the rolled out poori over each other as I did below, they will stick together.
What you can do is, roll out a long piece of parchment paper on the kitchen counter parallel to you and place the rolled out poori without touching each other as you make them
If you are not going to make them immediately(not more than an hour or two)cover them with another long piece of parchment paper or a clean cloth until you fry them.
How to deep fry puri.
Heat oil in a frying pan and maintain a steady temperature(read all the recipe notes given above)and gently slide in the Poori/Puri disc.
Once you see it rising to the surface of the oil, place the Skimmer Mesh spoon over the poori and press down(only after the poori rises).
You will feel a slight resistance as the poori puffs up and pushes back against the spoon, push downwards against this resistance for a couple of seconds and remove the mesh spoon as you see the poori rise. the above actions should be done gently and not with a heavy hand.
Flip to fry both sides.
Once it turns golden yellow in color. drain oil completely, transfer and Cool on a wire rack with some paper towels at the bottom to drain the oil.
How to make poori(deep fried Indian bread).
Poori (also spelled Puri) is a deep-fried Indian bread made with whole-wheat flour and few teaspoons of semolina.
Crunchy, soft and deep-fried to a golden color poori, is often served for breakfast, as a snack or light meal and eaten with a savory curry or with sweet dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole-wheat Flour(regular bread flour would do as well)
- 4 teaspoons of semolina
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Luke Warm Water
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil/Ghee
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE THE PURI DOUGH.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the Whole wheat flour (2 cups), salt (1/4-1 tsp), semolina(4 tsp). combine these dry ingredients well.
Add the Vegetable Oil/Ghee (2 tbsp) into the mixture and keep mixing until crumbly texture.
Gradually add water(1/4 cup)in intervals where you combine and add water to reach the stiff dough consistency needed for the poori.
Cover with a towel and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Separate the dough into balls (a little bigger than golf balls) and rub oil to prevent a crust forming.
You will find even forming the ball is difficult due to the tough dough but this is what you need.
Keep covered with a towel for a further 15 minutes.
Place the dough ball on your rolling board, sprinkle some flour and gently press down each ball with the palm of your hand.
Use the rolling pin, alternating between turning the flattened disk around with one hand and using a rolling pin to flatten out into disc shapes with the other. (Approximately 10-11cm in diameter and 10-15 mm in thickness).
Avoid the poori being rolled too thin.
Do not place the rolled out poori over each other as I did below, they will stick together.
What you can do is, roll out a long piece of parchment paper on the kitchen counter parallel to you and place the rolled out poori without touching each other as you make them
If you are not going to make them immediately(not more than an hour or two)cover them with another long piece of parchment paper or a clean cloth until you fry them.
HOW TO DEEP FRY PURI.
Heat oil in a frying pan and maintain a steady temperature(read all the recipe notes given above)and gently slide in the Poori/Puri disc.
Once you see it rising to the surface of the oil, place the Skimmer Mesh spoon over the poori and press down(only after the poori rises).
You will feel a slight resistance as the poori puffs up and pushes back against the spoon, push downwards against this resistance for a couple of seconds and remove the mesh spoon as you see the poori rise. the above actions should be done gently and not with a heavy hand.
Flip to fry both sides.
Once it turns golden yellow in color. drain oil completely, transfer and Cool on a wire rack with some paper towels at the bottom to drain the oil.
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