We had to fly down to Durban as my mum had taken ill and has been admitted to hospital. Life is so unpredictable, we should never take things for granted. However, I was happy to be there so I could help my parents. My sister from Australia has also arrived to help out and I am so grateful for that. My mum and dad are always there for us at our every beck and call so likewise as kids we have to do the same for them. My mum is doing a whole lot better and now to await her discharge from the hospital. My mum has had a tough life, things never came easy to her but she is a fighter and has overcome many obstacles. I know she will overcome this too. As much as I loved helping and supporting my parents I cannot deny that I am happy to be back home. I missed my kitchen and my cooking therapy that keeps me sane. My hubby is also happy to have us back, no more takeouts and woolies meals. I think he’s had enough. I am sure he will be excited to get home today to a fresh homecooked meal.
What is Puri
It is a deep fried bread that’s a staple in a lot of Indian homes. We don’t make it as often but in the older days I think it was made a lot more. Puri is made with basic ingredients such as flour, baking powder, butter ghee or butter, milk and yogurt.
Oil must be heated at the right temperature
Before I went off to Durban I had this recipe all prepped and ready to post but that never happened. I love this Puri Recipe. I know that some people say that their puris retain a lot of oil when frying. This Puri Recipe turned out perfect. As you can see from the pictures they are totally free of any excess oil. If your oil is not at the right temperature it will definitely soak up oil. I’m not great with gadgets so my way of testing the oil is to just pop a piece of dough into the oil. If it rises quickly you know your oil is at the right temperature. I usually fry my puris on a medium heat. If you feel the oil is heating up too much, you can turn the heat down a little. Whilst frying the puri fry one side until the puri puffs up, then flip it over. It literally takes a few seconds to fry puris.
Adding Yogurt to the dough
I often add yogurt to my dough but for this recipe I didn’t add any. I gave you both options because they both work. Yogurt gives you a more tender Puri and without the yogurt it’s a little more crisp. You do need to knead the dough for a couple of minutes before rolling them out. The amount of liquid for this Puri Recipe could also vary, depending on where you live and the weather. I used exactly half cup of milk for a cup of flour, you may need more or less. It is also easier to roll out all your puris and then fry them. That way there’s no chance of having burnt puris. After rolling them out you can spread them out on a piece of parchment paper until you ready to fry them. If you are overlapping them just sprinkle a little flour on the first batch to prevent the puris from sticking together.
If you are Indian you will know that the most popular curry to eat with puri is definitely a good Barlotti Bean Curry or Sugar Bean Curry. Hope you have fun making them 🙂 If you loved this, please share!
