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Pooris/Fried Flatbread

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Pooris are a type of Indian flatbread that are fried and served with savory and sweet dishes (like shrikhand – a yogurt-based dessert).

  • Yield: 12

Ingredients

2 cups/320 g atta plus extra for dusting (See The Cook’s Notes) Or (1 ½ cups/120 g all-purpose flour + ½ cup/70 g whole-wheat flour)

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp carom seeds, lightly crushed (optional) (See The Cook’s Notes)

2 Tbsp plus 2 to 3 cups/480 ml to 720 ml neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed

1 cup/240 ml water warmed to 160F/71C

Instructions

  1. Add the atta (or the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour), salt, and carom seeds to the bowl of a stand mixer. Dry whisk by hand or a fork just to get the ingredients. Rub in 2 Tbsp of the oil into the flour using your fingers to get a crumbly mixture. Fix the dough blade and knead over low speed, pouring the warm water in a steady stream until the dough just comes together, 2 to 3 minutes. If using atta, then knead the dough for an additional 10 minutes; if using the flour mixture, then knead for 5 minutes. The dough will be soft and supple to the touch. Scrape out and transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a large ball. Place in a bowl and let rest for 30 minutes covered.
  2. After the dough is rested, weigh and divide it into 12 equal parts by weight. Shape each into a ball and roll each ball into a 5 in/12 cm wide circle. Roll out the remaining dough and place them on a dry, clean lint-free kitchen towel.
  3. When ready to fry, heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Line a large plate with absorbent paper towels or place a wire rack on top. When the oil reaches 350F/180C, drop one of the circles of dough. The dough should immediately rise to the surface and puff up to form a poori; cook on both sides until golden-brown, total cooking time 2 to 2 ½ minutes. Use a slotted spoon to flip the dough as it cooks and drain any excess oil. Transfer to the plate. During cooking, maintain the temperature of the oil between 325F/165C to 350F/190C. Cook the remaining circles of dough. Pooris are best eaten fresh as soon as they come off the stove, but you can keep them warm by placing them on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 300F/150C. Serve the pooris with the potatoes in tomato gravy.

Notes

  • I know not all of you will have access to atta, the whole-wheat Indian flour that’s used to make flatbreads like rotis, parathas, pooris, etc. (you can find it online and in Indian grocery stores). Consequently, I’ve listed two options for the flour to make the bread – a mix of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour (I use King Arthur Flour). While atta is also a whole-wheat flour, it is made from hard wheat, while the whole-wheat flour we are familiar with here in the West, is made from soft wheat. Because of this, they grind differently in flour mills and behave differently in doughs. I’ve adjusted the ratios and knead times accordingly.
  • You can leave the carom out but DO NOT use cumin in the pooris. It tends to overpower the bread. Caraway seeds are a better substitute.
  • When rolling them out, it is best to dust the pooris with either atta or all-purpose flour. Dust them well before you fry, as the dry flour bits will collect in the oil over time.

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