1,000 Indian Recipes (302 page)

Authors: Neelam Batra

Puffed Deep-Fried Breads (
Pooriyan
)

Poori
(or
poodhi
) breads—crisp, balloon-like breads—are one of the many pleasures of Indian culinary life. They are deep-fried, puffed whole-wheat unleavened breads, light and crispy, and best consumed as soon as they come out of the
kadhai
(Indian wok). They lose their puffed appeal when they are fried ahead of time and stacked one on top of the other, but they do keep well and are customarily packed for picnics and long journeys.

Homemade
poories
are delicate, genteel things, not more than 3 to 6 inches across—quite unlike what you get from street vendors, which are usually twice that size.

Essentially,
poories
can be served with all meals, but they are really popular as breakfast and brunch staples along with certain classic accompaniments: potatoes, chickpeas, mint chutney, mango pickles, fresh mangoes,
lussi
(a chilled yogurt drink), and chai teas.

Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads

Saadi Pooriyan

Makes 14 to 16 breads

This is my most basic recipe for everyday
poori
breads. Most people make their
poories
with just whole-wheat flour, but I prefer to mix in some all-purpose flour, for lighter and crispier
poories
.

Just like pasta,
poories
can be flavored, and they then change colors. They can be green with the addition of mustard, spinach, or fenugreek greens, deep red with cooked and puréed beets, and orange-red with carrots and red or orange bell peppers; there are many choices. Mix in your favorite herbs and spices (and they don't have to be Indian—rosemary is wonderful) and you can have fun with them.

1 cup stone-ground durum whole-wheat flour

¹⁄
₂cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¹⁄
₃to
¹⁄
₂cup water

To make dough in a food processor:

1.
Place both the flours in the work bowl of a food processor and process about 30 seconds to mix. With the motor running, add the oil and then the water in a thin stream, and process until the dough gathers into a ball.

2.
Continue to process until the sides of the bowl look clean, 20 to 30 seconds. (Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough sticks to the sides of the work bowl, or some water if the dough seems hard.) Stop the machine, transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and let rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours. (This allows the wheat gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.

To make dough by hand:

1.
Place both the flours in a large bowl, mix together, add I of the water and mix again with your clean fingers in round circular motions until it starts to gather into a dough. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough seems sticky, or some more water if it seems too firm.)

2.
Knead about a minute, pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, then gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers. Push down the center and repeat pressing and gathering a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. (If, while kneading, the dough sticks to your hands, put a little oil or water on them.)

3.
Cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl and set aside at least 1 and up to 4 hours. (This allows the wheat gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.

To shape and fry the poories:

2 to 3 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

1 recipe
Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
, or any other poori bread dough

1 cup stone-ground durum whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour in a medium bowl or a pie dish, for dusting

Rolling pin

1.
Heat the frying oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until it reaches 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer, or until a little piece of the dough dropped into the hot oil bubbles and rises to the top immediately.

2.
While the oil is heating, lightly oil your clean hands and divide the dough equally into 14 to 16 balls. Cover with foil to prevent drying, and set aside.

3.
Working with each ball of dough separately, place in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips and coat well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into a thin 4- to 5-inch circle. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.)

4.
Carefully place the rolled poori into the hot oil. Almost instantly the poori will rise to the top and start to puff up. With the back of a large slotted spatula, quickly press lightly on the puffed top surface, submerge the poori back into the oil, then release. This will guide the air toward the flatter portions and cause the poori to balloon into a complete round in about 10 to 15 seconds.

5.
Turn the poori over once to cook the other side until golden. (Perfectly fried poories should be crisp and golden, not brown.) With a slotted spatula, remove to paper towels to drain and serve immediately.

Flavored Deep-Fried Puffed Breads

Flavor variation in deep-fried puffed breads, or
poories
, comes mainly from additions to the dough (and occasionally from different frying mediums—
ghee
, mustard oil, coconut oil, or sesame oil). The frying technique, however, remains the same. Here is a selection of some of my favorite flavored
poori
bread doughs. Make the dough in a food processor or by hand, then fry the
poories
according to the directions for
Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
.

Deep-Fried Puffed Breads with Ajwain Seeds

Ajwaini Pooriyan

Makes 14 to 16 breads

1 cup stone-ground durum whole-wheat flour

¹⁄
₂cup all-purpose flour

¹⁄
₂teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds

1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

¹⁄
₂teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¹⁄
₃to
¹⁄
₂cup water

Prepare the dough in a food processor or by hand (as described in
Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
), mixing together all the dry ingredients, then adding the oil to blend, followed by the water, until a dough is formed. Shape and fry the poories (as described in
Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
).

Deep-Fried Puffed Breads with Mint (or Fenugreek)

Pudina (ya Methi) ki Pooriyan

Makes 14 to 16 breads