Sometimes you just need to have Puri with one of your curries! It takes the whole meal to another level, trust me! I know it's fried and some of you may be reluctant to try this because of that, but if you follow my tips and recipe, you'll see that Puri don't have to be greasy at all! Give yourself a treat and make this with your next meal!
Puri Recipe Cooking Time 40 Minutes (Approx)
Dough Resting Time: 30 Minutes+
Serves 3-4 People (22-24 Puri)
INGREDIENTS:
· 2 Cups (300g) Chapatti Flour (Atta)
· 1/4 Cup (45g) Coarse Semolina (Rava/Sooji)
· 3 Tbspn Melted Ghee (or Vegetable Oil)
· 1 1/2 tspn Salt
· 2 Tbspn Cold Milk (Vegan Milk or Water)
· 2/3 Cup (125ml) Boiling Hot Water (approx)
· Oil for deep frying
METHOD:
Combine the Cold Milk with the Hot Water and keep aside.
In a large bowl, combine the Chapatti Flour, Semolina and Salt and mix it to combine.
Add the melted Ghee (or Oil) and mix that in.
Gradually add the Milk (or Milk Substitute) and Water mix and make a stiff dough.
Note: You may need to adjust the amount of water you need depending on your flour as flour varies from brand to brand and Country to Country.
Knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes. It should be a bit stiff.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
After it has rested, give it a quick knead.
Make small balls out of the dough by rolling a 1" tube and breaking off 1" pieces.
Flatten the balls by rolling between your hands and then flattening.
Before you start to roll the dough, heat up some oil in a saucepan for deep frying. Make sure to have enough oil, the dough should submerge in the oil completely - about 1" - 1 1/2" deep.
Roll the dough balls as shown in the video. Make them into small, round discs about 1 1/2 -2 mm thick. (You can make them slightly thinner if you feel they are too thick. 3mm may be too thick so test it out).
Roll about 7-10 puri before you start frying so you can keep up with both rolling and frying.
To check if the oil is hot enough: drop a small piece of dough to the oil, if it comes to the surface of the oil immediately the oil is hot enough.
Carefully, drop the rolled dough into the oil making sure the top surface of the puri is facing down. This is done so that, once fried, the top side of the Puri is always on the top.
Using a slotted spoon, gently push the Puri down if it needs encouragement to puff up.
After it's completely puffed up, flip it over. This is the ONLY time the Puri is flipped over.
Fry it for about 15 seconds until the bottom is cooked. Don't flip it again.
Remove the Puri with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate or tray lined with newspaper and paper towels.
Continue rolling and frying all the Puri as above.
These Puri will taste great hot or cold. Though they are best fresh, they can be eaten a few days later if you have any left over.
Tips:
1 - Add Ghee for great flavour;
2 - Add Semolina for great texture;
3 - Add Milk for softness and lighter coloured Puri;
4 - Follow my recipe for the correct proportion of Ghee or Oil to add to the flours;
5 - Make sure your dough is stiff, otherwise the Puri WILL be greasy and the you won't be able to roll them without adding flour. As flour varies by brand to brand and Country to Country, you may need to adjust the amount of water you need;
6 - Ensure your Oil is always hot (not smoking) when frying Puri, otherwise they won't rise & will be greasy;
7 - When rolling, make sure your Puri is not too thick or too thin 1 1/2mm -2mm seems to work best;
8 - When rolling, keep rolling on the top-side, don't flip the Puri;
9 - When putting the Puri into the Oil, Make sure you put it so the top-side is at the bottom;
10 - Flip the Puri ONLY ONCE in the Oil, otherwise it WILL be greasy;
11 - Place the Puri individually when draining - not on top of each other;
12 - If you need to stack the Puri, put paper towels between each layer.
ENJOY!
