Poori Recipe – How to Make Puri Step by Step

Poori was always a treat during my childhood days. While amma has no issues with deep frying, we ended up making breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, idiyappam, puttu, or even appam on most days over poori. The rarity of its occurrence made it very special on days we did have Poori Masala. I love amma’s potato masala for poori and while it’s a simple recipe, the combination is unbelievably good in its simplicity.

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You need to keep a few things in mind while making Poori at home. The dough uses the same ingredients as chapati dough but needs to be thicker and less moist. Too much moisture in the dough will absorb too much oil while frying the Poori.

Another thing is the temperature of the oil. The oil needs to be smoking hot while you start making the poori. As you add more and more and keep frying, the temperature of the oil will keep getting lower so adjust accordingly. A perfectly made Poori will be light golden brown with darker brown specks on it and fully puffed up. You poke the puffy Pooris to let the steam out and then eat it piping hot with potato masala. And that’s how it’s done!

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A few things to note to make the perfect poori:

1. The dough needs to be kneaded well and not sticky at all. If you are familiar with making chapati, add slightly less water for poori dough
2. The oil for frying needs to be very hot, close to smoking. Otherwise the poori won’t puff and the dough will absorb too much oil
3. The poori needs to be rolled out to an even thickness for even puffing. Don’t make it too flat, there needs to be some thickness to puff up too
4. I know this sounds like a lot of vague instructions but with 2-3 attempts, anyone with basic cooking skills can master this for sure

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Poori Recipe - How to Make Puri Step by Step

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Poori is a puffed deep fried breakfast dish that's very popular in Southern India. Often served with potato masala, it's quite a treat when made well and served hot!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Sough Indian

Servings 15 poori

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour atta or chapati flour
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of warm water start with 1/2 cup and adjust as you go
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 cups of oil for deep frying

Instructions

 

• Mix the flour and salt until well combined.
• Add warm water a little at a time and knead until a soft, non-sticky dough is formed.
• If you are used to making chapatis, remember poori dough needs to be a bit firmer and less moist than that. If you’re making poori for the first time, well, just rely on your gut feeling and see how it goes. Practise makes it perfect!
• Once the dough is ready, leave it in a bowl and set aside covered for about 10-30 minutes. 
• When ready, knead the dough again and roll it into a  small log between your palms. Pinch off small lime-sized balls and roll into smooth balls.
• Dust generously with flour and roll each ball into circles of about 1/8″ thickness.
• Working quickly, roll out all the poori and lay them flat without overlapping on a plate or parchment paper. 
• When you've rolled all the poori, heat oil and bring it to almost smoking point.
• Like a typical Indian cook, I don’t own a cooking thermometer and don’t check the temperature of my oil so, again, go with your gut feeling.
• The oil should be nice and hot and almost start smoking. Drop in a small piece of dough and check if it quickly sizzles and rises to the surface. That’s your cue to get started on frying the poori.
• Very gently pick a rolled poori, starting with the one you rolled first, and drop into the hot oil.
• Work with one poori at a time. Once you have dropped a poori into the oil, use a slotted spoon and move the oil around so it coats the frying poori. This will make it puff up nicely (refer the top right picture below)
• Once the poori is nicely puffed on one side, flip over so both sides are cooked and have brown spots.
• Transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel and continue frying the remaining poori

Keyword poori, puri

Poori Recipe Step by Step

1. Mix the flour and salt until well combined. Add warm water a little at a time and knead until a soft, non-sticky dough is formed.
2. Once the dough is ready, leave it in a bowl and set aside covered for about 10-30 minutes. 
3. When ready, knead the dough again and roll it into a  small log between your palms. Pinch off small lime-sized balls and roll into smooth balls.
4. Dust generously with flour and roll each ball into circles of about 1/8″ thickness.
5. Working quickly, roll out all the poori and lay them flat without overlapping on a plate or parchment paper. 

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1. When you’ve rolled all the poori, heat oil and bring it to almost smoking point.
2. Very gently pick a rolled poori, starting with the one you rolled first, and drop into the hot oil.
3. Work with one poori at a time. Once you have dropped a poori into the oil, use a slotted spoon and move the oil around so it coats the frying poori. This will make it puff up nicely (refer the top right picture below)
4. Once the poori is nicely puffed on one side, flip over so both sides are cooked and have brown spots.
5. Transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel and continue frying the remaining poori

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Serve hot with potato masala for poori.