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Side view of puffed puri

Poori Recipe (Puri recipe)

Shweta Arora
Poori or Puri, a golden, puffed, fried Indian bread made from whole wheat flour, salt, and water. Pairs perfect with Indian curries as well some sweet dishes. Here is the step by step, tips and tricks to make the perfect puffy puri and a hack to make them round.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 16 poori

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cup whole wheat flour Atta
  • 1 tablespoon rava semolina, optional
  • ½-¾ cup water approximately, for kneading, adjust as needed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • Oil for frying approximately 2-3 cups

Instructions
 

To make the dough:

  • In a stand mixer bowl or regular mixing bowl, add the ingredients - whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, and oil (1 tbsp).
  • Attach the dough attachment of the stand mixer and start on low speed to mix well and form a crumbly dough.
  • Increase the speed to 4 and using ¼ cup water at a time (total of about ½ to ¾ cup, may vary depending on the flour brand) knead into a stiff dough. Add 1 tablespoon oil, increase the speed to 6 and knead it for 1-2 mins.
  • Do not knead into a soft dough since it absorbs more oil and makes poor greasy. This dough has to be stiffer than regular chapati dough.
  • Cover with a wet cloth and let the dough rest for 10 mins before making puri.
  • After resting it should turn a little softer than before but still stiff, knead again to smooth dough.
  • Divide it into 15-16 equal balls. Keep the balls covered with a wet cloth until ready to use to prevent them from drying.

To roll:

  • Grease the rolling pin and working surface with some oil.
  • Work with one ball at a time, place it on the rolling board and flatten it using your fingers.
  • Add few drops of oil on it, roll it evenly into a circle not too thin and not too thick. It needs to be a bit thick else the puri will not puff up evenly.
  • Use oil instead of flour to roll puris as the flour can make the oil muddy while frying.
  • You can make one poori and fry it immediately or I prefer to make a batch of 3-4 pooris before frying.
  • If you are not frying the poori immediately, place them on a plate (optional you can line with parchment paper), not stacked or overlapped to prevent them from sticking. Keep them covered with a wet cloth to prevent from drying.

To fry:

  • Heat oil in a wok (Kadai) on medium heat. Test if the oil is ready by adding a small portion of dough. It should sizzle right back up but not brown quickly.
  • Once oil hot, slide the poori. Now you want to make sure that the oil is hot enough for the pooris to fluff up immediately but not too hot to burn them.
  • Press down gently using the back of a slotted spoon. This helps release any trapped air and puff up the poori.
  • Once the poori is puffed, flip it carefully and cook until the other side is golden too.
  • Remove using a slotted spatula to drain off the oil. Transfer onto tissue paper to absorb excess oil.
  • Keep frying the remaining poori in a similar manner. Always check for oil temperature before frying the next puri.
  • Poori is best served fresh and hot. Serve for breakfast or as a meal with your favorite curry or Indian sweet.

Notes

  • Poori dough consistency is very important so knead it right. It should be firm but not dry or crumbly and neither soft.
  • A soft dough will absorb more oil and make the pooris greasy and a dry and crumbly dough will result in hard pooris.
  • The addition of sugar helps give a nice golden color to the poori. Little goes a long way.
  • Similarly, Rava (semolina) is another optional ingredient that may be added as it helps make poori crisper and hold shape longer. Use fine Rava.
  • Roll the puri evenly and slightly thick (not too thick or thin). Thin puris don't puff up and may turn hard.
  • Easy hack: use a round cutter for those perfect round pooris. Or use a tortilla press, comes in handy if you are making for a large gathering.
  • Use oil instead of flour to roll puris as the flour can make the oil muddy while frying. 
  • Fry on medium heat and adjust the temperature between medium, medium-low, as needed while frying the puris. The low temperature will cause more oil to be absorbed and pooris won't fluff up.
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