Dark-gold pooris that balloon in the oil and shatter at the edge, rolled from a stiff hot-water jowar dough. Tear them hot over potato sabzi.
Ingredients
From the TrooFoodz pantry
- Sprouted Jowar Flour 2 cups
Fresh
- Boiling water 1 cup
- Thick curd, whisked smooth 3 tbsp
- Ajwain (carom seeds) 1/2 tsp
- Salt 1 tsp
- Groundnut oil, for the dough 2 tsp
- Groundnut oil, for deep frying 500 ml
Method
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Scald the flour
Tip the Sprouted Jowar Flour, salt and ajwain into a heavy bowl and pour over the water while it is still at a rolling boil. Stir hard with a wooden spoon until no dry pockets remain.
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Knead while hot
As soon as it is cool enough to touch, knead for a full four minutes with the heel of your hand. The gelatinised starch is what holds this dough together, and it only develops with heat and pressure.
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Enrich and rest
Work in the curd and the two teaspoons of oil until the dough turns satin-smooth and stops cracking at the edges. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 15 minutes.
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Roll between sheets
Divide into 14 balls. Roll each between two oiled plastic sheets to a 9 cm disc of even thickness — thin patches will not puff and thick ones stay raw.
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Test the oil
Heat the frying oil to 180C. A pinch of dough should rise to the surface in two seconds without browning instantly.
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Press to puff
Slide in one poori and press it gently under the oil with the back of a slotted spoon for three seconds. It will dome. Flip once, fry 20 seconds more and lift out.
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Drain upright
Stand the pooris on their edge in a colander rather than stacking them flat, so the steam escapes and the crust stays crisp.
Why this works
Boiling water gelatinises the jowar starch, which does the binding job that gluten would normally do in a wheat poori. The curd adds a little acidity and fat that keeps the dough pliable, and pressing the poori under hot oil traps a pocket of steam that forces it to inflate.
Make it your own
- Sprouted Jowar Flour → Sprouted Bajra Flour Darker, earthier, and slightly more fragile to roll.
- Thick curd → Warm mashed potato Two tablespoons; gives a softer poori that stays supple longer.
- Ajwain → Crushed cumin Rounder and less pungent through the crust.
