Puris/Pooris with sesame seeds

Pooris/Puris ……………

Puri or poori is an Indian bread very popular in Gujarat. It can be eaten hot or cold and with almost any curry. A lot of Indian restaurants in India serve it in the morning with mango pickle or potato curry for breakfast. It’s served as an accompaniment with mango raas, shrikand or just about any curry for lunch or dinner. Leftover puris are great for breakfast too. Whenever guests arrive unannounced for dinner I tend to quickly make puris and serve them with potato curry or with chick pea curry.   The basic recipe for puris is very simple and can be made plain with just salt or with spices.  Adding just a few spices and sesame seeds makes these puris a special dish.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 cups of chapatti flour
• ½ tsp of salt
• ¼ tsp of turmeric
• 2 tbls sesame seeds
• 2 tsps of oil to use when making the dough
• 1 Litre of oil for frying.
• 1 cup of water to make the puri dough.

Method:

1. Transfer the flour in a mixing bowl and add the salt, turmeric and the sesame seeds. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the 2 teaspoons of oil.

2. Mix all the ingredients and slowly form a dough by adding the warm water a little at a time. You may not need all the water so do add the water with caution. The dough when ready should be firm but pliable. Mix it well and leave it covered with a tea towel for half an hour.

3. Divide the dough into 25 small balls and  flatten them ready to roll the puris.

4. Roll out each puri and save them on a clean tray or a clean work top. Try not to keep them on top of each other or they may stick together.

5. While you are rolling out the puris, transfer the oil to a wok or something similar and heat the oil.

6. Test the oil by dropping a pinch of puri dough in the oil. If it raises quickly to the top, the oil is ready.

7. Reduce the heat slightly and start putting the puris in the hot oil one or 2 at a time.

8. They will start to cook and as soon as they puff up, turn them over, cook for 30 seconds and remove onto a clean Kitchen paper.

9. Serve the puris with any curry or pickle or even yoghurt.