Poori

Poori - Poori is a deep fried puffed up Indian bread made with wheat flour, oil and salt. Being children's favourite elders too ,poori is usually prepared in every Indian household at least once in a week. Poori with kizhangu or chana masala are the popular combos. Poori is also prepared with all purpose flour known as luchi in bengali cuisine. 

How to make:

Take whole wheat flour or atta in a wide mouthed bowl, add rava, fine salt and oil/ghee. Add water in stages and knead into a tight dough. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. Roll out into palm sized discs, deep fry in hot oil. Drain in an absorbent paper.

Flour can be home made or store bought. Quantity of water required depends upon the quality or the type of the wheat flour used. Only fine salt is used. 

Oil meant for deep frying is to be used like groundnut oil or sunflower oil.  

Tips for a fluffy puffed up poori:

1. Knead the dough tight. It should not be like a chapati dough.

2. Adding rava helps the poori to stay puffed up for a long time,

3. The discs should not be very thin or very thick.

4. The oil should be hot enough for the poori to rise up.

5. Maintain the temperature of the oil uniform throughout which is medium- high.

6. Immerse the poori in hot oil and press with the back of the ladle for the poori to rise up. 

Storage:

Store the pooris in air tight container.

Accompaniments:

Potato masala, White kurma, Chana masala pairs up great with poori.

Equipment used: Atta kneader, kadai.

Recipe:

Poori

Total time taken : 30 minutes resting time + 30 minutes cooking time.

No. of persons - 4

1 cup = 200ml

Ingredients with measurements:

Wheat flour - 3 cups

Fine rava - 1 tsp

Fine pink salt - to taste.

Cold pressed groundnut oil - for frying

Water - for kneading.

Directions with pics:

1. Take atta, add rava, salt.

2. Add water in stages. Knead into a tight dough.

3. Add a tbsp of oil. Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out into palm -sized discs.

5. Heat oil in a kadai. Add a pinch of dough to the heated oil, if it rises up , yes the oil is ready for frying.

6. Drop the disc one at a time, press the disc with the back of the ladle. the poori will start to puff up.

7. Flip the poori to other side, pour the heated oil from the kadai, over the flipped poori. let it cook fro 10 secs.

8. Drain the oil and place the poori in tray lined with absorbent paper.

9. Repeat with the remaining discs.

With atta - kneader:

1.Fix the attachments that comes with the atta-kneader.

2. Take atta, rava, salt in the kneader.

3. Close the lid of the atta kneader,

4. Add water in stages through the hole in the lid.

5. Rotate the lever 5 to 10 times in clock-wise direction.

6. Repeat the movement in anti-clockwise direction.

7. Add 2 tsps of oil to the dough.

8. Repeat the movements.

9. Close the hole with the lid and rest the dough for 20 minutes.

10. Follow the directions from step 4.