Puri (Indian Fried Flatbread)
Photo: Daiju Azuma, CC BY-SA 2.5
Puri is an Indian bread that puffs into a hollow golden balloon within seconds of hitting hot oil. This version mixes whole-wheat flour, plain flour and fine semolina, so the dough is sturdy enough to roll thin and the finished bread has a slight crispness at the edge. The only real skill is judging the oil: a scrap of dough should rise at once. Get that right and eight puri come together quickly.
Instructions
Put the whole-wheat flour, white flour, semolina and salt in a bowl. Drizzle the tablespoon of oil over the top and mix well.
Add water a little at a time until the mixture comes together as a stiff dough. Knead it well for a few minutes, then cover it and let it rest for about half an hour.
Pour the frying oil into a wok or other deep pan and heat it. While it warms, divide the dough into 8 small balls and roll each into a circle about 3 in (7.5 cm) across. A little hot oil on the work surface keeps the dough from sticking.
Test the oil with a tiny piece of dough. If it rises to the surface right away, the oil is ready. If it sinks and lingers at the bottom, wait, because the puri would soak up too much oil.
Lay a rolled circle on the oil and press the top gently with a slotted spoon until it puffs up, then turn it over. Adjust the flame as needed to hold the heat steady.
Lift each puri out once it is golden brown and set it on a wire rack or kitchen paper to drain.
Make it personal.
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