POORI (The Fried, Puffed Whole Wheat Bread)

POORI (The Fried, Puffed Whole Wheat Bread)

A puri or poori or boori is a South Asian unleavened bread prepared in many of the countries in South Asia including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is consumed for breakfast, or as a snack or light meal. Puri is also the Georgian name for bread.

Puri is most commonly served at breakfast. It is also served at special or ceremonial functions; they sometimes are part of ceremonial rituals along with other vegetarian food offered in prayer as prasadam.

Puri can be made with Whole wheat flour (Atta) or with all purpose flour (Maida). Puri is often served with potato masala, chana masala, korma, and goes well with most North Indian gravies. In some Indian states it is served with halwa and in Maharashtra it is relished with Aamras.

In the north east of India, Puri is served with a special mixed vegetable which is prepared during puja and its also eaten with mistanno, a special kind of dessert prepared with rice, milk, sugar.

A variant of the puri is the bhatura which is three times a puri and thus a single bhatura, served with chole (spicy chick peas), often constitutes a full meal.

Another variant of the puri popular in the eastern states of West Bengal and Orissa is the Luchi.

(Some of the info courtesy:-Wikipedia)

Ingredients

Mix together in a bowl:

2 cups Indian whole wheat flour

1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Method

Slowly add about 3/4 cup warm water, just enough to form a firm dough, and knead till smooth. Cover, let rest at least 1/2 hour, and knead again briefly. If resting more than 1 hour, punch and knead dough again before rolling out.

Divide into small balls about golf-ball size, and roll out into 6" rounds on an oiled board. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan. Add a little salt to the oil to keep it from smoking. Fry the puri one at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn and fry till light brown; drain. While frying, the bread puffs up. After they become golden-brown in color, they are removed and served hot along with some accompaniment.

Serve as soon as possible as Puris are not so good later.

For spicy puris:

When making the dough, add the below mentioned dry ingredients:

Turmeric – a pinch

Red chilly powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt as per taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mix the dough well then add water and mix and follow as above.