Puri or poori is a very popular puffy Indian bread made of wheat flour dough, oil, salt and water. The dough is rolled into discs and deep fried for golden, slightly crispy puri bread that tastes amazing with potato curry, chana masala, and even halwa!
In the mood for a lavish Indian breakfast or brunch this weekend? Make some crispy and puffy poori bread and pair it with a curry of your choice. My idea of heaven:)
Yes, you do have to knead the dough, shape it into discs and deep fry the discs. But when they puff up in the hot oil, it's a feeling like no other. Even after so many years of making pooris, I feel like doing a jig every time I see those perfectly round golden pooris, waiting to be dipped into a bowl of spicy potato or chickpea curry!
And what's more, these poori soften when they cool down especially when you keep them wrapped in a tea towel. Soft poori taste even nicer with a curry.
Another very popular fried bread to go with curries is bhature. This tastes fantastic with chickpea curry and, in fact, makes for a well-known street food called chole bhature. I'm willing to bet my last penny that anyone familiar with North-Indian cuisine would know about chole bhature and how addictive it is!
Ingredients
A barebones puri recipe would have just wheat flour kneaded with a little oil, salt and water. However, I like to add a few more ingredients to make them even tastier. Here's what goes into my recipe -
- wheat flour - Choose a good quality brand of Indian wheat flour like Pilsbury. Two cups would be enough to make 16 pooris.
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- Ghee - two tablespoons for mixing in the dough. Can be replaced with cooking oil.
- Cooking oil - 3 cups for deep frying.
- Water - approximately ¾ cup to make a stiff dough.
- Semolina flour - two tablespoons of semolina give that crispy texture to the pooris.
- Yogurt - two tablespoons of any kind will do. Low-fat, full-fat, Greek...your choice.
- Carom seeds or ajwain - just a pinch or two for flavour and digestibility. They resemble cumin seeds but have a more intense flavour.
Substitutions
- If you don't have the other ingredients, try this recipe with just the first four ingredients. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
- If you're vegan, simply replace the ghee with cooking oil and skip the yogurt. You will still get awesome puris!
How to make this poori recipe
Briefly, make the dough, flatten it into discs, and deep-fry in hot oil. Here's a step-by-step breakdown -
Step 1 - Make the poori dough
Take the wheat flour, semolina, salt, carom seeds, ghee and yogurt in a deep bowl and mix with a spoon. Add a few tablespoons of water and mix with your hands. Keep adding water, little by little, and knead until you get a stiff dough.
Step 2 - Make balls and flatten into discs
Break off small portions from the dough and shape into lemon-sized balls. With the help of a rolling pin, shape the dough balls into flat discs. Like so -
Step 3 - Deep fry the discs in oil
Take around 2-3 cups cooking oil in a wok or karahi and heat it to a medium-hot temperature. Slide in the discs one by one and let them rise to the top. As they rise, press with the back of a wide slotted spoon and they will puff up. Flip them over once with the spoon and let them turn golden brown (a few seconds). Remove the pooris from the oil onto a sheet of absorbent kitchen paper.
Top tips for making the perfect puffy pooris
- Add water sparingly while making the dough. The dough should be stiff but not so much that you find it difficult to roll it out.
- The discs should be neither too thick nor thin. If they're either, they won't puff up.
- Don't knead the dough too much or rest it for too long before frying. The pooris will absorb more oil if the dough is kneaded beyond a point. Look at the pictures in steps 1 and 2 for a fair idea.
- Apply a little oil to the dough balls with your fingers if you find that they are sticking to the surface while you roll them out. Don't use too much flour to make this task easier as the flour will burn when the discs are fried.
- Cover the discs with a damp cloth until ready to fry.
- Check the temperature of the oil before sliding in the discs. It should be hot but NOT super burning hot (should be slightly below smoking point or the point when it starts giving off fumes). If the oil is not hot enough, the pooris won't puff up. If it's too hot, they will burn!
Serving Ideas for puri bread
Just like any other kind of Indian bread, pooris can be had with practically any dish of your choice. In my personal experience, Shami kababs and keema aloo taste terrific with pooris. And here are some universally-loved, vegetarian combinations you can try -
Aloo puri - a special potato curry made especially for pooris.
Chole puri - pooris with a spicy chickpea curry.
Halwa puri - usually semolina halwa or sheera, a sweet confection that's very popular when paired with pooris.
If you're feeling adventurous, you can even make more than one of these dishes to go with this poori recipe for a really sumptuous breakfast or brunch! I often do, especially when I'm expecting company.
Puri Recipe
Equipment
- Pyrex bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Wok or karahi
- Wide slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups Indian wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon ghee or cooking oil
- 2 tablespoon semolina flour optional
- 2 tablespoon yogurt optional
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds optional
- ¾ cup water
- 3 cups cooking oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- Take the wheatflour in a deep glass bowl and add the salt, semolina and carom seeds. Mix well.
- Add the two tablespoons of ghee and yogurt and mix again with a big spoon or your hands.
- Knead the wheatflour mix by adding water little by little until a stiff dough forms.
- Break off lemon-sized balls and shape into discs with the help of a rolling pin on a clean surface. Use a few drops of oil to grease the balls as you're rolling them out.
- Cover the discs with a damp cloth.
- Heat the 3 cups of oil in a deep karahi or wok until it is very hot, but not so hot that it gives off fumes.
- Slide a single disc into the oil. It will rise up in a couple of seconds. Press down on it until it puffs up, then turn it over. Fry for a few seconds more and remove onto absorbent paper. Repeat with all the other discs. The pooris are now ready to be served with your favorite curry or halwa.
Notes
- The dough should be stiff and not loose. Also, there's no need to over knead it.
- If you want to make vegan pooris, replace the ghee with cooking oil and skip the yogurt.
- If you don't have semolina flour and carom seeds, don't worry. Make the pooris with wheatflour, salt, oil and water only. You will still get very good-tasting pooris.
- Don't stack the pooris on top of each other if you want them to remain puffy!
- Wrap the poori in a clean tea towel if you want them to be soft.
Nutrition
If you liked this recipe, don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Colleen says
I love ordering puri in restaurants but have never tried making it at home. Now I'm going to. Thanks for the recipe!
Saima says
Yes, do try making it in your kitchen, Colleen!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says
Well, I am a bread lover, so I think these are right up my alley. I love trying foods of the world. Your post makes this look doable for sure.
Saima says
Thanks, Gloria. Do try it!
Aleta says
This Puri recipe looks amazing! It's crazy how much a little thin disc puffs up so much once deep fried. I love that you can make it with four simple ingredients too.
Saima says
Crazy, right? I never cease to be amazed at the fact that my pooris actually do the puffing up so obediently!
Yemma says
Hi Saima, these look so yummy, I will be trying them soon for a crowd of 15. What would you advise me if I was planning on making them ahead, freezing them and then frying when my guests arrive ?
Thank you
Saima says
Hey Yemma, I don't think freezing the poori discs beforehand would work. The reason is that when you thaw them, there will be some moisture present and while they'll be good for toasting on a dry pan, I don't know how they will behave once they hit the hot oil. They may not even puff up. I haven't tried freezing them but you can still test-freeze a couple and see how it goes.
One thing you can do is make them a few hours in advance and cover them with a damp cheesecloth. Then, fry as usual. All the best!
Denise says
I have never heard of this bread, but it looks incredibly delicious! I will have to try them one day.
Veronika's Kitchen says
Wow! this puri looks amazing! I never tried it before but it looks like a lot of fun to make it! It's so interesting how it puffs up!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
OMG how have I NEVER heard of this recipe and why have I never had it?! It seriously looks incredible and OMG look how puffy it is!!! I cannot wait to try this as this, with some hummus, roasted veggies and... honestly simply butter and honey! Just wow!
Saima says
Ooh, yes! Why didn’t I mention that? Pooris taste lovely with honey. Just one teeny suggestion. Have the pooris with fresh, clotted cream and honey, not butter. You won’t feel like stopping!
Kylie | Midwest Foodie says
What a simple recipe! Like pita bread, but fried. YUM! Can't wait to try these when I make curry next time!
Saima says
Do try them, Kylie!
Danielle says
I love puri, it has always amazed me how simple yet delicious it is. I can't wait to try your recipe - I love experimenting.
Tammy says
I am unfamiliar with Puri but these look fabulous! So light and delicious..I would love these with soup especially!
Saima says
Thanks Tammy! Haven't tried pooris with soup, but go right ahead and experiment!
Jo says
My kids absolutely crave for poori and aloo saagu. Love perfectly puffed puri's, looks amazing
Saima says
My kids too, Jo! Weekends are puri and paratha times!
Lorie says
My mouth was literally watering reading this post. It reminded me of a meal we had with one of my dad’s clients years ago. These are going to be soooo good—can’t wait!
Saima says
Thanks Lori!
Jacqueline Debono says
I've never tried puris. They look great! Can't wait to make some the next time I cook a curry! Pinning for later!
Saima says
Thanks a lot, Jacqueline!
calinhorely says
Amazing ! Can we use classic flour because I can not find Indian wheat flour ?
Saima says
You mean all-purpose flour? Yes, certainly!
calinhorely says
Thank you 🙂 I try this recipe tonight
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
I've never had puri but it looks and sounds delicious! I love trying new foods from new places, so I'll definitely be giving this a try.
Nandeenee Bhinda says
Have tried the recipe exactly like mentioned but something went wrong ! I did not have it puffy🙁
Yours look so yummy 😋 can you précise in kg what are the 2 cups roughly?
Saima says
2 cups of flour would be 250 grams, give or take a few grams. I'm sorry your puris didn't puff: Depends a lot on the temp of the oil too. Too hot or too cool and the puris won't puff. It should be medium hot. You can test by dropping a small round. If the oil is at the correct temperature, it will rise immediately and puff out. Also, try pressing the puri down with the back of a spoon as it rises. This also helps to puff them. Hope that helps!
Anoop Kapitan says
I am a retired 72 year old gentleman who is having to cook and feed myself now! Your service on the web enables me to venture on making many of our Asian dishes. Your Puri guidance led me to perfect my weekend morning breakfasts. I too want to have a jig each time the puri puffs up golden brown!
Many thanks for your help and guidance. You made a senior citizen happy
,
Saima says
Mr. Kapitan, I am so honoured to have been of help to you! You have totally made my day by saying such lovely things! I wish you good health and happiness always. And I would absolutely love to answer any queries you might have about cooking Indian food if I can. Take care.