How to make Puffy Poori | Indian Puri Recipe | Soft Puri Recipe

Let’s learn How to make Puffy Poori Step by Step with my tips and you will always end up with those puffed up golden beauties. Today I’m here to share an all time eternal favourite of any age group – it’s definitely got to be the delicious PURI.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2016 and has been updated with Video and replaced with edited pictures for comprehensiveness and freshness.

Puri or Poori is a very delicate unleavened bread made of wheat flour that is soft, yet chewy. They are originally a north Indian food, but the poori and bhaji combo is something that has travelled the length and breadth of India. It’s served almost everywhere in India. You’ll find it on the menu of finer restaurants or the several food stalls or the beloved dhabas scattered across the entire country.

Puri or Roti?…Your favourite?

Puri is something I have cherished since my childhood. This meal takes me back to my home, transports me to that nostalgic route where innocence rules as a kid and we could enjoy any food without any guilt. Later on during our beginning days in Germany, Puri was a must on the menu when Non-Indian friends were invited home. They used to love them!! But now a days, I hardly make Puri. There are two reasons, firstly it is full of calories which I don’t need extra at all and secondly hubby prefers roti over poori…not that he doesn’t like but because he is so health conscious!! But treating yourself once in a while is fine right…..what say??

Have you ever wondered How to make puffy poori? Usually puri/poori dough is made out of wheat flour or a mix of wheat flour and all purpose flour. I’m using whole wheat flour bought from the local grocery store and this has lots of flaky fibre unlike our atta. I somehow felt it gave the puris a better texture and also tasted better. Feel free to use whichever flour suits you.

The dough is then made to small balls and rolled out in small flat circles with a rolling pin, and then fried in hot vegetable oil. When put into the hot oil they swell up with air and puff up into a balloon-type form. The simple science behind this puffed up Puri is due to the moisture in the dough that changes into steam which expands in all directs when deep-fried. When the air is releases, the puris will gradually sink.

I love properly puffed puris, crispy top and especially when you dig a hole in the crust you are left with a hollow and deliciously smelling puri. The basketful of puffed up golden Puris were polished off with Potato masala and a glassful of ginger cardamom tea in no time. Later on a strawberry banana yoghurt smoothie was not a bad idea to cool down the tummy and also served as a dessert!!

Puri or Luchi?…Both deep fried!!

There are many different kinds of Puris and this one is the basic and regular kind which is made of just wheat flour. There is a Bengali version known as luchis, which are made with all-purpose flour. We assume whole wheat flour is better than all-purpose flour, but I think once both are in hot oil, the difference is really nothing much health-wise! To make slightly healthier Puris, add spinach puree or any vegetable puree or even lentils into the dough and fry it in healthier oil, like canola oil.

Master this one meal and no guest of yours will go disappointed. So let’s go through How to make Puffy Poori!!

Let’s see How to make Puffy Poori:

Click HERE to directly go to the video!! But, I advice you to go through detailed recipe for a few tips !!

The process has 3 simple steps:

1. To prepare dough
2. Roll out dough balls to flat discs
3. To deep-fry Puris

1. To prepare dough:

• Add Flour, salt and oil together in a large bowl.
• Mix well to incorporate all the oil into the flour.
• Add a little Warm Water at a time and knead to form a dough.
• Once the dough is ready, smear a couple of drops of remaining Oil coat it.
• Cover and allow the dough to rest for at least 10 minutes.

NOTE:

• You can also use a food-processor to make the dough.
• You can also add a teaspoon of hot oil while kneading the dough.
• Oil will help the dough not to dry out and forming a crust.
• Do not allow the dough to rest for very long, otherwise pooris will absorb more oil because the dough tends to become soft.

2. Roll out dough balls to flat discs:

• After the rest time, knead the dough once again and divide the dough into small balls (table tennis size balls).
• Take one ball and roll it into a nice, smooth round ball with the palm of your hands and press it flat. Since this is wheat flour with lot of, couldn’t manage to get even edges but puffing was not an issue as you see.
• Roll it out with a rolling pin to form even round discs. Apply oil to dough ball rather that dusting flour.
• The puris are usually made smaller than chapattis and a little thicker so they can puff up.

NOTE:

• The idea of applying oil and not dusting with flour is so that while frying, the oil stays clean and you won’t see dark burnt flour particles inside the oil.

3. To deep-fry puris/pooris:

• Heat Oil for frying the Puris over medium heat. Allow it to heat very well.
• Once the Oil is very hot, gently slide the Puri in from the side.
• The Puri will settle at the bottom for a few seconds before it comes up to float.
• Once it starts floating, gently press on one side with a frying ladle. This will help the Puri to puff up. That’s the secret behind How to make Puffy Poori.
• Flip the Puri and cook on the other side till golden brown.

• Scoop the Puri to the side and drain out all the excess oil.
• Remove the Puri and put it on an absorbent paper towel.
• Repeat the process with the rest of the dough balls.

Wasn’t it simple to learn How to make Puffy Poori??

Serve hot Puris with potato masala or potato bhaji which is the best combination!! Every bite of a spicy potato masala wrapped in deep fried dough tastes out of the world.

You can also pair it with anything sweet like aamras or mango rasayana or kesari.

Print Recipe

How to make puffy poori | Indian Puri Recipe

Puri/Poori is unleavened Indian bread made of wheat flour that is soft yet chewy. Let’s see how to make puffy poori with step-wise pictures.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast / Brunch, Breakfast / Indian Flat Bread

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Poori Recipe,, Puri Recipe, Indian Flat Bread Puri,

Servings: 4

Calories: 110kcal

Author: Padma Veeranki

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Whole wheat Flour
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Oil
• ½ cup Warm Water, or as required
• Required Oil for deep frying

Instructions

Prepare dough:

• Add flour, salt and oil together in a large bowl.
• Mix well to incorporate all the oil into the flour.
• Add a little warm water at a time and knead to form a dough.
• Once the dough is ready, smear a couple of drops of remaining Oil coat it.
• Cover and allow the dough to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Rolling dough balls to flat discs:

• After the rest time, knead the dough once again and divide the dough into small balls.
• Take one ball and roll it into a nice, smooth round ball with the palm of your hands and press it flat.
• Roll it out with a rolling pin to form even round discs. (see notes)
• The puris are usually made smaller than chapattis and a little thicker so they can puff up.
• Heat Oil for frying the Puris over medium heat. Allow it to heat very well.

Deep-frying Puris:

• Once the Oil is very hot, gently slide the Puris in from the side.
• The Puri will settle at the bottom for a few seconds before it comes up to float.
• Once it starts floating, gently press on one side with a frying ladle. This will help the Puri to puff up.
• Flip the Puri and cook on the other side till golden brown.
• Scoop the Puri to the side and drain out all the excess oil.
• Remove the Puri and put it on an absorbent paper towel.
• Repeat the process with the rest of the dough balls.
• Serve hot Puris with Potato Masala/Potato Bhaji or with something sweet..

Recipe Video

Notes

• The dough should be slightly stiff for 2 reasons. Firstly so that less amount of wheat flour can be dusted on the puris while rolling. If you use too much of wheat flour for dusting then while deep frying the wheat flour particles get fried and burnt in the oil.
• These burnt particles then settle down at the bottom and stick to the later batches of puris. To avoid this happening, you have another option to apply a little oil on the poori and then roll. This way you can avoid wheat flour. Secondly puri absorbs more oil if the dough is very soft.
• Ensure that the oil is neither too hot nor cold. if hot, the puris get browned quickly. If it is not hot enough, then the puris absorb more oil.
• Roll the puris of medium thickness. If it is too thin like roti then it will not puff up while frying.
  If the puris do not puff up, then either the dough has not been kneaded well or the puris have not been rolled out evenly or the oil is not hot enough.
• You can also add some suji/semolina to the dough to make the puri a little crispier.
  A pinch of Carom Seeds (Ajwain) may be used in the dough. It helps to digest.
• You can also add a teaspoon of sugar when making dough as it will give nice golden brown colour the poori when deep frying.
• Test the oil by putting in a small ball of dough to see if the oil is ready. The little ball of dough should go to the bottom and then after a few seconds float to the top of the oil. The oil is then ready.
• Oil level in pan should be good to submerge poori and give it space to rise.

 

Check out other Breakfast Recipes and Andhra Recipes from blog!!

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Happy Cooking 

Cheers!!

Padma.