Air-Fried Poori: A Healthy Twist On A Classic?

Poori is a small, round, fried bread made with whole wheat flour, popular in India. It is usually served with a savoury curry or bhaji, but can also be eaten with sweet dishes. Poori is a deep-fried bread, but it is possible to make it in an air fryer. A source suggests that the air fryer can be used to make puri, as well as other Indian fried foods such as samosas and onion rings. Another source provides a recipe for Methi Poori, which can be made in an air fryer.

Poori recipe ingredients

Poori is a small, round, fried bread made with whole wheat flour, puffed to a lightly crisp, golden-brown perfection. It is one of the most versatile Indian fry breads, packing simple yet pleasing flavours and textures.

• Whole wheat flour (3 cups)
• Fine rava or semolina (2 tablespoons)
• Sugar (2 teaspoons)
• Salt (1¾ teaspoons)
• Water (1¾ cups)
• Oil for frying (2 cups)
• Ghee or oil (1 tablespoon)

You can also add a teaspoon of sugar while kneading the dough to get the perfect golden hue. Additionally, adding a little bit of rava or semolina to the dough will give it the right crispy bite and help the Poori stay puffed up for longer.

If you are making Poori for the first time, the dough should be a bit firmer and less moist than chapati dough. It should not be sticky at all and should form a stiff, tight dough.

• Add flour, rava, sugar, and salt to a mixing bowl and mix well.
• Slowly add water a little at a time and mix it with the flour using the fingertips of your dominant hand.
• Keep adding water and knead until a firm dough starts to form.
• Then add the oil and knead once again for 4 to 5 minutes or until the dough becomes even and smooth.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes while you preheat the oil.

Once the dough is ready, you can start frying the Pooris!

Step-by-step guide to making poori

Poori is a popular Indian dish that can be made in an air fryer. Here is a step-by-step guide to making this delicious and versatile fried bread:

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour
• Rava/semolina (optional)
• Sugar (optional)
• Salt
• Oil for frying (flavourless oil like refined, vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil)
• Water

Step-by-Step Guide:

• Make the dough: In a mixing bowl, add flour, rava, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Slowly add water a little at a time and mix it with the flour using your fingertips. Keep adding water and kneading until a firm dough starts to form. Then, add the oil and knead again for 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and even. You can make the dough by hand or use a stand mixer with a spiral dough hook attachment.
• Rest the dough: Cover the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes while you preheat the oil. The dough can be left at room temperature for an hour or refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
• Knead and form dough balls: Knead the dough once more for a minute. Then, make small round balls from the dough. With 4 cups of dough, you can make approximately 25-30 balls.
• Roll out the puris: Add oil to a frying pan and preheat it on low to medium heat. Take one dough ball at a time and lightly roll it in dry flour to coat it evenly (optional). Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball into a small 4-inch circle. You can roll all the puris first and line them on a tray, or roll and fry them one at a time.
• Preheat the Air Fryer: If using an air fryer, preheat it to 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.
• Fry the puris: Turn the heat for the frying pan to medium-high. Allow it to heat up, then carefully slide each rolled puri into the hot oil. Gently press down with a stainless steel skimmer spatula as the puri starts to puff up. Turn it over and press gently, cooking until both sides turn a light golden brown. If using an air fryer, arrange the puris in the air fryer basket and air fry for 5-6 minutes, checking halfway through.
• Drain and serve: Carefully remove the puris from the oil or air fryer and place them on a paper towel-lined tray to absorb any excess oil. Homemade puris are best served hot, and they will deflate over time. Line them up next to each other instead of stacking them to help them stay puffed up.

Tips for Perfect Puris:

• For a crispy texture and to keep the puris puffed up, add a little rava/semolina to the dough.
• For a golden hue, add a teaspoon of sugar while kneading the dough.
• To check if the oil is at the right temperature, drop a tiny piece of flattened dough into the oil. If it rises and puffs up instantly, the oil is ready.
• Drain the fried puris on paper towels to remove excess oil and make them lighter.
• If you prefer a softer texture, you can use plain flour or a combination of half plain flour and half wheat flour.
• For a puffier puri, add a teaspoon of sooji/semolina to the dough. Soak the sooji in hot water for 5 minutes before adding it to the dough to make it softer and easier to blend.

Tips for making puffed-up poori

Poori, also known as Puri, is a small, round, fried bread made with whole wheat flour. It is commonly known as Indian fried bread, which is slightly crispy on the outside and soft inside. Here are some tips for making puffed-up poori:

• Achieving the right dough consistency is crucial. The dough should be kneaded to a firm consistency. If the dough is too soft, the poori will absorb more oil and become oily.
• Adding rava (semolina) to the dough gives it a crispy texture and helps the poori stay puffed up for a longer duration.
• Adding a teaspoon of sugar while kneading the dough gives the poori a perfect golden hue.
• Before frying the poori, ensure the oil is heated to the right temperature. To test this, drop a tiny piece of flattened dough into the oil. If the dough instantly rises and begins to puff up, the oil is ready.
• After frying, drain the excess oil from the poori by placing them on paper towels. This makes the poori lighter to eat.
• For a basic poori recipe, mix flour, rava, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Slowly add water and knead until a firm dough forms. Then add oil and knead again for 4-5 minutes until the dough is even and smooth.
• Let the dough rest for 5 minutes while you preheat the oil. The dough can be left at room temperature for an hour or refrigerated for 2-3 days.
• To make the poori, knead the dough again and form small round balls. Roll each ball into a small circle using a rolling pin.
• Heat oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Carefully slide the rolled poori into the hot oil and gently press down with a spatula as it starts to puff up. Fry until both sides turn a light golden brown.

Reheating poori

Poori is a small, round, fried bread made with whole wheat flour, puffed to a lightly crisp, golden-brown perfection. It is one of the most popular Indian breads and is usually served hot.

If you have leftover poori, here are some tips on how to reheat it:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with the poori. Bake for about 5 minutes.
• Place 2 to 3 poori in the Mealthy CrispLid basket and bake for 3 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Use a traditional air fryer and bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Arrange the pooris on the wire rack in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes at 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, cook for an additional 5 minutes after flipping them.
• Reheat for about 20 seconds in the microwave to regain freshness and taste.

Different types of poori

Poori, also known as puri, is a small, round, fried bread made with whole wheat flour, puffed to a lightly crisp golden-brown perfection. It is one of the most versatile fried breads, packing in simple yet pleasing flavours and textures. Pooris are often cooked during festive and religious occasions in India and are offered as prasad along with aloo, halwa and chane.

Basic Poori

The basic poori is made with wheat flour (atta in Hindi), semolina, salt and oil. This type of poori is perfect to serve with chole, paneer or aloo ki sabzi.

Bedmi Poori

A popular North Indian recipe, bedmi poori is a delectable street food mostly eaten for breakfast and brunch in Indian states like Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The stuffing in bedmi poori is made of urad dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida, garam masala and other spices.

Luchi

Luchi is a deep-fried delight from eastern India, particularly popular in Bengal, Orissa and parts of Assam. Unlike puris, luchi is generally deep-fried in ghee and is commonly prepared during Durga puja celebrations.

Palak Poori

This type of poori is made with a paste of freshly blanched spinach leaves combined with chillies and salt. The dough is made with whole wheat flour and cooked in canola oil, making it less greasy and lighter. Serve palak poori with curd or your choice of curry.

Beetroot Poori

Beetroot poori is made with pureed beetroot mixed with whole wheat flour, ajwain and salt, deep-fried in oil till fluffy.

Masala Poori

Masala pooris are spiced-up versions of the basic poori. The dough is spiced with a few basic Indian condiments to create a flavourful and aromatic flatbread.

Sweet Poori

Sweet pooris, also known as "Dangar Ghare", are made with pureed pumpkin, Indian jaggery, cardamom and saffron.

Other Variations

Other types of poori include chola poori (made with maida), tomato poori, paneer-stuffed poori, potato poori, kutta atta poori, finger millet (ragi) poori, urad dal poori, peas-stuffed poori, dal puri, bharva poori, bhatura and pani puri.

Frequently asked questions