Masala Poori is fried Indian bread that is flavored with aromatic earthy spices. It is light, crispy and with the right measurement of ingredients, it will puff perfectly! This is the best Masala Poori that is ready in less than 30 minutes!
My recipe for Masala Poori is very simple and quick, made with everyday Indian spices. It tastes best with Aloo Tamatar Sabzi , Pudina Aloo ( Potato Mint Curry) but also great just as is, with a cup of Masala Chai
Masala poori is very much like regular North Indian poori prepared with whole wheat flour. But, along with that you also add spices, a little bit of chickpea flour and semolina which helps to add that extra crispy texture.
Why this recipe is the best
The steps are easy to follow, and it is very quick. I often hear from people that when they fry poori it doesn't puff. This recipe will make your poori puff every single time.
The ingredients are simple and easy to find.
Once you make the masala poori following my steps, you will see how fuss free it can be. Even if you never made poori, you will be able to make it with no problem.
Ingredient Notes
Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Atta)- We always make poori with whole wheat flour that we refer to as Chapati flour in India. The wheat flour that you get in US grocery store is as fine texture as the one you get in Indian store.
You can definitely prepare with any variety of wheat flour you can find. Some even likes to use all purpose flour.
Do keep in mind that the quantity of water you add while making the dough will depend on the texture of the flour. So please add little by little.
Semolina (Sooji) - I add a small quantity of semolina while making the dough. The semolina helps to make the masala poori crispy.
Chickpea Flour (Besan) - Chickpea flour helps to make the texture of the poori crispy, and it also adds a nutty flavor that goes very well with all the spices.
Oil or Ghee - It is very important to add a little oil or ghee to the flour and mix it around to a crumbly texture before adding the water. The oil or ghee will create the flaky texture and the poori will not only puff beautifully but also stay puffed after taking it off the hot oil.
Spices - Masala is Hindi word for spices. The spices that I have added are turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder and carom seeds along with kasuri methi, which is dried fenugreek leaves.
The exact measurement of the ingredients are mentioned in the recipe card below.
Variations you can consider
There are quite a few varieties of spices added in the dough, and you can feel free to change that as per your liking.
While most of these spices are available outside Indian stores too, dried fenugreek leaves could be difficult to find if you don't have any Indian store nearby.
A good alternative would be to use dried mint leaves instead of dried fenugreek leaves.
If you can't find the Indian variety whole wheat flour, you can use another variety of flour too. The taste and texture of the poori will depend mainly on the flour and spices that's added.
Here is the Video
Step by Step instructions
1 - Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, semolina, dried herb and spices) in a mixing bowl.
2 - Pour the ghee or oil and mix it around to form a crumbly texture.
3 - If you hold a little amount of the mixture, it should hold shape for a while.
4 - Add water little by little as you start making the dough. Keep in mind that depending on the texture of the flour, you might have to add more or less water.
5 - The dough shouldn't feel too soft or too dry. Drizzle a little oil on the dough and cover it with a wet kitchen towel. You need to let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This helps the flour to absorb all the flavor and moisture there by, making the dough pliable and easy to roll.
7 - Divide the dough into tiny discs. Keep in mind that you can make big size poori too, but I personally prefer tiny ones.
8 - Roll the dough into thin discs. You can either rub little oil while rolling the discs or dust little flour. If you can make a perfect round shape, that's great. But rolling evenly is more important as it will allow the air to pass though and puff nicely.
9 - Fry the rolled poori in hot oil by sliding carefully from the edge of the pan, and it will start puffing almost immediately. Flip and fry for a few more seconds to 1 minute. The oil should be very hot or else the poori won't puff perfectly.
FAQs
Yes! You absolutely can. You can use buckwheat flour, or rice flour or a mix of different gluten free flour to make this poori. Rolling gluten free flour using a regular rolling pin is tough, so I would recommend using a tortilla press instead.
The dough typically needs 20 minutes rest before rolling. If you want to make this poori for a big group, you can make a dough the previous night and let it rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Don't leave it in a fridge for more than a day or two, as the dough will slowly start to change color.
The poori will stay puffed for an hour easily, and you can make in advance too. But poori is one such bread that tastes bread when served right after frying it fresh.
The temperature of the oil is very important for the poori to puff. If you fry poori in low temperature, it will keep absorbing a lot of oil and while it will get cooked and still delicious, it will not feel light.
What to serve it with?
Pudina Aloo ( Potato Mint Curry)
If you liked this dish, then you might also enjoy the pea stuffed fried bread called, Koraishuti Kochuri or the Bengali style fried bread made with all purpose flour, Luchi
Masala Poori
Ingredients
- 1 and ⅓ cup whole wheat flour (chapati flour)
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tablespoon semolina (sooji)
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- oil to mix in the dough and to deep fry the poori
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add the flour, semolina, dried herb, spices, salt and sugar. Give a mix.
- Pour 2 tablespoons oil and mix it around, so the dough looks crumbly. When you hold a small amount of the dough, it should retain shape for a while. If it doesn't add a little more oil.
- Next, you add water little by little to form a dough. The dough shouldn't be too soft or too dry.
- Drizzle a little oil on the dough and cover it with a wet kitchen towel. Leave aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, divide the dough into 20 small discs. Cover the discs as you roll one by one.
- When you roll the discs, you could drizzle little flour or brush little oil. For that crispy light texture, puffed poori, you have to roll it thin, and you have to roll it evenly, even if not perfectly round in shape.
- Roll the disc and place on a cookie sheet without overlapping one on top of another.
- Heat enough oil in a heavy bottom pan or wok to deep fry the poori. When the oil is sufficiently hot then add one poori at a time and fry gently pressing down with the slotted spoon and then flip and fry for few more seconds to 1 minute.
- Once done, take the puffed poori off the wok to a plate. Poori tastes best when served right away.
