Poori (puri) recipe

Poori (puri) recipe is a deep-fried, fluffy, puffy golden brown bread. It’s the most popular Pakistani and South Indian morning dish. This recipe uses various flours. In India, poori are traditionally made with wheat flour and semolina. But in Pakistan, many prefer poori baked with all-purpose flour.

This poori (puri) recipe requires you to make dough discs that cook perfectly until they become crispy on the exterior and soft on the inside. In Pakistan, people often pair poori with Semolina Halwa (sooji ka halwa). They also serve it with chana masala, coconut chutney, and pickles, which is my favorite part.

What is poori (puri)

Poori also spelled as puri is a deep-fried bread that is soft on the inside and a little crispy from the outside. This recipe is simple but tricky. To ensure perfect texture, and puffiness follow up my step by step-by-step photo guide The recipe uses simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, wheat flour, and ghee to make a round, disk-like golden brown bread. Restaurants usually sell wheat flour pooris and all-purpose flour poori separately.

About Poori (puri)

In many Pakistani homes, this dish is a popular choice for Sunday brunch and celebratory occasions. My mother always made this amazing poori recipe with only three main ingredients: all-purpose flour, salt, and water. Market-bought poori is more stretchy, making it more difficult to stomach. However, my mother’s recipe is simple, healthful, and tasty.

Jump to Recipe

All-purpose poori vs. wheat flour poori

Wheat puri is made with a small amount of semolina whereas maida puri is made without semolina. In restaurants, all-purpose flour is commonly used, sometimes combined with a little bit of sooji to achieve distinct flavors. The taste can fluctuate depending on the ingredients we utilize. Wheat puri tastes similar to regular fried chapatis whereas maida puri is delicious.

My poori (puri) recipe feels dry to the touch rather than greasy like those in the market, so anyone worried about their health or who is always cautious about deep-fried food can give it a try!

Ingredients and Variations

All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour also known as maida is the main ingredient while making a poori recipe. Sieve the flour before using it to avoid any unwanted particles. If you like semolina then you can add 3 tbsp of semolina.

Ghee

Ghee is the main softening agent in poori. Only a small amount of ghee helps to make soft, fluffy, and crispy poori. Some use oil, but I prefer to use ghee for kneading dough, especially because oil makes it a bit harder.

Salt

Add salt to taste. Be careful while adding salt; otherwise, too much salt will make the poori too salty, ruining the entire flavor.

Water

Dough kneading requires water. Do not use milk When making poor with maida (all-purpose flour) since it will not help create the best-textured poori.

Steps for making Poori (puri)

Step 1

For making the poori (puri) recipe, combine 160 grams (2 cups), 2 tbsp of ghee, and 1/4 tbsp of salt in a deep bowl. Mix them with your hand evenly.

Step 2

Add 1/4 cup of water slowly to knead the dough. if needed add 2-3 tbsp of more water.

Step 3

Make a dough big bowl by setting the dough and brushing the dough with oil or heated oil.

Step 4

Cover the dough with a small piece of cloth. Set the dough aside for 30 minutes.

Step 5

After 30 minutes divide the dough into small pieces evenly. Make small balls and brush them with oil.

Step 6

Roll the small balls into a disc of even thickness. Use your hands to flatten the dough to make round discs. Before flattening discs, wet your hand with oil.

Frying

Step 7

After rolling 4-5 discs heat the oil on medium flame. Do not leave roll pooris for a long period. Once the oil is heated enough. roll on the left dough balls.

Check if the oil is hated enough drop a little dough piece in hot oil. If oil is ready to fry then the dough will rise immediately. But it should not get brown easily.

Step 8

Add poori disc in hot oil. Gently pat the poori in hot oil. It will puff up immediately. Sightly change the side of puff poori. Otherwise, oil may spill. fry the both sides until they get crispy and golden

Step 9

If the oil is excessively hot, take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool slightly. If not, the pooris will get charred as soon as they hit the hot oil. Similarly, fry any remaining pooris individually.

Step 10

serve the poori with Sooji Ka Halwa (Semolina Halwa), and Chana Masala. Don’t forget to serve pickles !!

Some Pro Tips

Dough Making

Making perfect pooris begins with making the dough. It should not be excessively sticky or loose to handle. It must be tight enough to produce puffy pooris without absorbing oil.

Amount of ghee

The amount of ghee used determines the crispiness and softness of pooris. Use only a modest amount of ghee for dough making otherwise pooris will crack to the touch.

Amount of water

The amount of water used depends on the type of flour used. Whatever type you are using adjust water quantity accordingly.

Kneading dough

Do not knead the poori dough until it becomes as soft as roti dough. Knead the dough for a brief while until it feels perfectly smooth to the touch, without becoming soft. The dough will feel hard when pressed with a finger.

Resting Douh

Dough resting is used for setting the dough. The soaking dough will absorb more oil if rested for a long period. So rest the dough for half an hour. If you are making dough on a large scale then divide it into batches.

Use of ghee or oil for making dough balls

Instead of flour, use oil or melted ghee to make dough balls (parey). When frying, it will become difficult. Once all of the dough balls are formed, coat them with oil and keep them covered until they are needed.

Rolling Dough

The dough for pooris should be rolled out to a medium thickness. The right thickness of the disc is essential for the poori to puff up properly. If the dough is rolled too thick, it won’t puff, and if it’s rolled too thin, it will become hard like a papad.

Frying

You must heat the oil sufficiently to fry the pooris. If you don’t make it hot enough, the pooris will absorb the oil and fail to puff up. To check if the oil has reached the correct temperature, drop a small piece of dough into the hot oil. If the oil is ready, the dough will rise to the surface right away without browning. Adjust the stove flame to maintain consistent heat.

My Notes (Additional Tips)

If you are facing difficulty while making perfect pooris. Then have a look at my notes.

Runny Dough

If your dough unexpectedly turns out a bit runny, incorporate additional flour to achieve the correct texture. Taste the dough to determine if it requires salt, and if so, add a small amount as well.

Crumbly Dough

If the dough becomes crumbled then brush the dough with oil or melted ghee.

Not Puffing pooris

If your pooris aren’t inflating properly, make sure the oil is at the right temperature. Make adjustments as necessary. The thickness of the pooris can also be a factor, so roll them out neither too thick nor too thin.