POORI

POORI

Pooris are very commonly eaten in almost all Indian and Pakistani households. They seem very easy to make but making them to be soft and to perfection is quite tricky. You have to be very careful about the temperature of the oil in which they are fried and also have to keep the heat in check to maintain the required temperature. The consistency of the dough also makes a difference to the overall outcome. This version contains carom seeds as it lends a good flavour to the pooris and is also good for digestion of oily food. You can add other spices to the dough, depending on the flavour that you want.

INGREDIENTS

I Cup Plain Flour or Wheat Flour OR a combination of both in equal proportions

Half a teaspoon or 1 teaspoon salt (according to your taste)

Half a teaspoon of Carom Seeds (Ajwain)

1 Tbsp cooking oil

Chilled water for kneading

METHOD

In a bowl, take the flour, add salt and carom seeds and the oil. Rub all these well using your finger tips. Add a little water at a time while kneading until you get a soft and pliable consistency. Knead for a few minutes until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean.

Take a little portion of the dough at a time and roll each portion into the size of a small ball. Meanwhile, take some oil in a deep wok and place it to heat. Oil the working surface with a little oil and roll out each poori thinly, but not wafer thin.  Rolling them all out prior to frying often tends to dry them out. So either cover with a wet kitchen towel, or roll only 2 or 3 at a time. 

To check the temperature of the oil, drop in a little piece of the dough and it should instantly float up. Slide in the poori. It should sink to the bottom for a few seconds before it floats up. If it stays afloat as you slide it in the oil, the temperature is too hot. So take the oil off the heat for a short while. As soon as it floats up, it should puff up instantly. Once it is all puffed up, let that one side cook for about 30 seconds before you flip it over to cook the other side also for 30 seconds. Fry all the pooris in this way, one at a time. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot. You may also serve cold but the taste will differ from the hot ones.