In India, pooris are often eaten for breakfast along with a potato preparation. What’s not to love about a poori that is beautifully puffed and deliciously light even though it has been fried in oil? My mother reminisces the time when she prepared the dough wanting to make rotis for lunch and had gone shopping. I must have been just about 10 years and I don’t remember it but I used that dough to make pooris for everyone instead of rotis! Such is the love for pooris in India, however these days it has become a very occasional treat.
For all my Indian breads I use atta that one can buy in the Indian store – it is not the same as wholemeal flour but personally feel atta is milled fine.
INGREDIENTS FOR POORIS
400g atta
¾ to 1 cup warm water (40 degrees Celsius)
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying
METHOD
Measure out the atta into a large bowl. Add the salt and make a well in the centre. Mix the water a little at a time incorporating the flour at the same time. When all the flour is incorporated and you have the makings of a dough, do not add any more water. Knead the dough for 6-7 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for an hour.
Divide the dough into 16 balls, and roll each out into a 12 -13 centimetre round disc, using a little extra flour for dusting.
In a deep frying pan or saucepan, heat sufficient oil over a high heat to cover the top surface of the pooris the instant you drop into the oil. This will ensure your pooris are puffed. Fry one at a time, turning it over in the oil. Makes 16 pooris.
FOR THE POTATOES
600g potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes
500g onions, chopped
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
15 curry leaves
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon chilli powder
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chick pea flour mixed in 2 tablespoons water
METHOD
Heat oil in a small wok or kadai. Add the mustard seeds and when they start popping, throw in the curry leaves. Fry continuously and put the onions in along with the green chillies. Continue to stir once in a while allowing the onions to soften for five minutes. Mix in the turmeric and chilli powders and the potatoes. Season with salt and sugar. Pour in half a cup of water, cover and cook on low heat for ten minutes.
Stir in the chick pea flour slurry and cook for a couple more minutes. Serve hot with pooris. Serves 4.