Indian cooking / Dishes / Puris (Indian Kitchen)

Puris (Indian Kitchen)

VegetarianMakes AROUND 20

Puri are small wheat breads deep-fried until they puff into crisp golden discs with a soft centre. They taste savoury and rich from the frying oil.

Ingredients

200 g

flour

Vegetable oil · Telplus extra for rolling

54 g4 tablespoons

oil/fat

Oilfor deep-frying

to taste

oil/fat

to taste

salt

Mix 200 g chapatti flour with salt to taste in a bowl.
Stir half of the 54 g vegetable oil into the flour.
Add 170 ml water in small splashes, mixing with a spoon and then by hand until the flour begins to clump together.
Knead to a smooth dough, work in the remaining 27 g vegetable oil, and knead for 2 minutes more.
Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces. Lightly coat each piece with extra vegetable oil and roll out into thin discs about 8 cm across.
Heat oil for deep-frying in a deep pan to 170°C (338°F).
Lower one puri into the hot oil and fry for 1–2 minutes, pressing it gently with a slotted spoon until it puffs and turns golden.
Turn the puri over and cook for 1 minute more, then drain on kitchen paper. Fry the remaining puris the same way.

Whole wheat flour

Wholemeal flour
Use the same weight; it is very close, but add water slowly as it can be coarser and absorb more.
Plain flour
Use the same weight but reduce water by about 10%; the dough is softer and the flavour less nutty.
Flour
Use the same weight as a plain-flour swap; reduce water slightly and expect a lighter, less wheaty result.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
Ghee
Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Oil

Vegetable oil
Use the same weight. It is neutral and behaves the same in frying and tempering; no noticeable change in flavour.
Corn or vegetable oil
Use the same weight. Neutral and good for high heat; the dish will taste virtually the same.
Groundnut oil
Use the same weight. It has a mild nutty flavour and is good for Indian cooking; heat until just hot, not smoking, so the nuttiness does not dominate.

Same: Phulkas and this dish both use chapatti flour and salt, and neither lists spices or a souring agent.
Different: Phulkas adds water and ghee and is cooked on a hot griddle, while this dish uses vegetable oil in the dough and is deep-fried in oil.

Same: Chapattis shares chapatti flour, vegetable oil, and salt with this dish.
Different: Chapattis uses more flour, less oil, adds butter, and is cooked on a dry griddle and brushed with melted butter, while this dish is deep-fried in oil.

Same: Plain Buttery Parathas shares chapatti flour, vegetable oil, and salt with this dish, and both are flatbreads.
Different: Plain Buttery Parathas adds 70 g butter and is pan-fried, while this dish has no butter and is deep-fried until it puffs.

Same: Puris and this dish are both small wheat breads deep-fried in vegetable oil with salt until they puff into crisp, savoury discs.
Different: Puris uses wholemeal flour and lists water plus a measured 0.3 g salt with less oil, while this dish uses chapatti flour and more vegetable oil with no water listed; neither lists spices or a souring agent.