Popular and Festive Indian Fried Bread -
Puri

Puris, an Indian fried bread, is very popular during holiday seasons on the Indian subcontinent...

This Indian fried bread also make fun and easy party appetizers. You can prepare them before your guests arrive or just knead the dough. And then enlist the help of your friends to cook it in batches and make it one of your savory hot appetizer recipes!

Either way, puris are just mouth-watering and delicious...

The added coriander relish is also a quick easy appetizer that will take you just minutes to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup (90g /3oz) plain flour
3/4 cup (110g / 3 1/2 oz) wholemeal plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella) seeds
Oil, for deep-frying

Coriander relish:

60 g (2 oz) fresh coriander leaves
20 g (3/4 oz) fresh mint leaves
1/2 small onion
1 green chilli
2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sift the flours and salt and pepper into a large bowl. Add the oil or ghee and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Stir in kalonji seeds. Make a well, add 3-4 tablespoons hot water and mix with a flat-bladed knife. It should be rough but hold together. Form into a ball.

3. Divide the dough into 4 and then each portion into 8 pieces, making 32 altogether. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece at a time covered with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Donít worry about the cracked edges.

4. Heat 2.5 cm (1 inch) of oil in a wok or large heavy-based frying pan to 180 C (350 F). The oil is ready when a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 15 seconds.

5. Fry 3 or 4 puris at a time, turning them halfway through. They will only take a few seconds to turn golden on each side. Remove from the oil and drain on crumpled paper towel while you fry the coriander.

6. For the coriander relish, process all the relish ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Serve with the puris.

Makes 32

Return from Indian fried bread to Indian bread recipes