Namkeen Puri (Deep Fried Savory Puffed Bread)

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe Courtesy: Mamma

A couple weeks back Debarshi and I started discussing about having a get together party at our home. We wanted to spend an evening with fun and food. This time we decided to include in our vegetarian menu Bhindi Kalonji and Boondi Raita with a Namkeen Puri. I took this Puri recipe from my mom and it turned out great. Not too loaded with spices or oil, just perfect to go with the vegetarian dishes. It also tasted amazing with the Amritsari Chole. 

If you are wondering what’s so special about them, then let me tell you that these Namkeen Puris are very different than our normal Luchi because of the spices added in the dough. Carom seeds, Cumin and Asafoetida give the Puris a unique taste and flavor. They are not as flaky and loaded with spices as the Masala Kachoris and they go very well with any vegetarian dish. You can also enjoy these with a cup of tea or give to your kids as a quick snack.

The best part is the dough, which you can kneed before hand and keep in the fridge in an airtight container. Whenever you want to serve the Puris, bring the dough to the room temperature, then roll and fry them. If you have guests coming over, you can even fry the Puris before hand and keep them in the oven at the lowest temperature. Believe me they will stay warm and crisp inside.

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 cups 
• Whole Wheat Flour - ½ cup
• Oil - 4 tablespoons + about 2- 3 cups for frying
• Lukewarm Water – about 5 - 6 tablespoons
• Carom Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon 
• Asafoetida - ¼ teaspoon
• Baking Soda - ¼ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Others:

• Wok
• Spider Spoon

Directions for Kneading the Dough:

• In a large bowl sift together the All Purpose Flour and Whole Wheat Flour.
• Add the Carom Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida, Baking Soda and Salt in it. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Now add the Oil. Mix with your fingers or if you are using the stand mixer (attach the hook), give a few runs.
• Run the mixer on the lowest speed. Add water, a little at a time and knead into a dough. You may need a few extra tablespoons of water if the dough feels tough. We don’t want a soft sticky dough so do not add a lot of water. Keep kneading it for another minute or two. If the sides are sticking with the bowl too much, switch off the mixer and clean the sides using a spatula.
• The dough may turn out a bit stickier. If it does, just add a little flour and keep it kneading until it’s smooth and almost non sticky. 
• Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. 

Tip: You can also refrigerate the dough in a zip lock bag or air tight container. Bring it to room temperature then roll and fry the Puris.

Directions to roll and fry the Puris:

• Once the dough has rested, start dividing it in portions to make the Puris. I make small Puris so I divide the dough in 18-20 pieces. You can choose to make small or medium sized Puris. 
• Take a piece of dough between your palms and roll it into a ball. Press the ball between your palms lightly to flatten it a little like a disc. Put all the other balls of dough back in the bowl and cover it. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
• Roll the Puri, normally you will not need any flour or oil because the dough has moen (oil) in it. However, if you find it difficult, use a little all purpose flour.
• Place the disc on the rolling board or on your kitchen counter and start rolling it. It should be small and round and not too thick. A little unevenness in shape is ok. 
• Heat oil in a wok over medium- medium high heat and while this is happening, you may want to roll a few more Puris before starting the first batch. It is just easier to roll and fry a couple of Puris consecutively. Just make sure you are not putting the rolled out Puris on top of each other. Keep them on a cookie sheet or a big platter in a single layer.
• Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small ball of dough into the oil. If there isn’t any bubbling, then the oil isn’t ready. If it’s furiously bubbling and there is smoke, that’s too hot. If the temperature is perfect, the dough ball will take a dip and immediately float to the surface of the oil and start changing color.
• At this perfect temperature, add one Puri at a time and fry by gently pressing it down with the frying spoon at different places.
• Turn over when puffed up (or after a couple of seconds) and fry the Puri till golden red.
• Transfer the fried Puri on a paper towel or napkin to absorb the excess oil.
• Serve the Puri hot with Bhindi Kalongi, Boondi Raita, Amritsari Chole or eat it with a cup of hot tea.

Tips:

• Switch on the exhaust fan.
• I find it ok to multi task for this recipe but if at any point you find it overwhelming just do one step at a time.
• The perfect frying temperature is very important for making perfect Puris. If you are not able to fry a puffy Puri, it maybe due to the oil temperature. So, try to maintain it evenly. Do not over crowd the wok by dropping too many Puris at the same time. Remember, preparing deep fried bread is a difficult task which needs patience and experience.
• Even if your Puris do not puff up, they will still taste great so do not throw them out.
• Make sure not to use a lot of flour while rolling the Puris, this will leave a lot of burnt flour in the oil and you will not be able to re-use this oil for the next batches.
• I usually line a Colander with two paper towels and keep the fried Puris in it. The holes of the Colander allow the steam of the hot Puris to pass through thus maintaining the crispiness.
• Finally, as I said earlier do not pile the rolled out Puris on top of each other as the uncooked flour will stick together. Keep them in a single layer.

Recommended reading:

• How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence?
• Colander (Kitchen essentials: Utensils which come handy)
• Excited to use new spices? Know more about Hing (Asafoetida)
• Masala Kachori (Indian Puffed Bread with Spices)
• How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry
• Alur Dom (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with gravy)
• Bhindi Kalonji – Okra with Indian spices
• Know more about Joan (Ajwain or Carom Seeds)
• Indian Salad
• Palak Paneer (Fresh Cheese in Spinach gravy)
• How to reuse the leftover dough
• Luchi – Deep Fried Puffed Bread
• Boondi raita
• Amritsari Chole (Delicious Chick Pea gravy with Fresh Cheese)
• Top 10 Spices to keep in your kitchen
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