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Fluffed round pooris (or pooris) are a part of every traditional Indian gathering. They are often served with aloo sabzi, paneer, sabzi, raita, pickle, and other delicacies. They are soft and make for the best travel food as their shelf life is long. However, the task is to make soft poori.
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If you make soft poori, you can store them for a long time. Moreover, they remain edible even after 24 hours of cooking. Many people struggle to make fluffy, lightweight, and soft pooris, instead, they end up making tight and hard pooris. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that will guide you to make perfect pooris without any hassle.
Do Knead The Dough
The dough of poori is different from what you knead for roti or paratha. It has to be tight, smooth, and pliable. If you knead it long enough, the gluten will develop better and allow you to roll the dough easily with a rolling pin. While you are 80% done with kneading the dough, you should oil or ghee and knead it tightly. Make sure it is not wet or boasts a flowy texture.
Don’t Roll Thin Pooris
Pooris are thin but not too thin. Remember that you are making poori and not papdi. pooris are supposed to be small and slightly thick so that when you immerse them in hot oil, their circles turn into spheres. For pooris to be soft, a thin layer needs to puff up and get slightly crispy. However, if you store pooris, the thin layer becomes soft over time.
Do Rest The Dough
Many people make the mistake of not resting the dough. As soon as they knead the dough, they start making pooris with it. If you do not allow it to rest, the gluten will not develop, and the pooris will be tight and crispy. You need to rest the dough for at least 20 minutes before rolling the pooris. This will improve the elasticity of the dough, making it easy to work with.
Don’t Let Dough Dry Out
When you rest the dough, do not leave it out in the open. It will dry out soon and the top layer will develop crusts. Use a wet paper towel or a damp cloth to cover the dough when you are resting it. You should also keep it covered while you are making pooris. It will ensure that the texture of the dough remains soft and elastic.
Do Maintain Thickness
When rolling pooris, you must ensure that the thickness on all sides is equal. If the edge on one side of the diameter is thick and thin on the other, your pooris will not puff up. They will be chewy, half-cooked, and tight. Uniform thickness ensures your poori will puff up and remain soft.
Don’t Dust Off Excess Flour
Unlike roti and paratha, poori dough does not need dusting with dry flour. The best way to roll the dough is to dip the small peda in oil (just a tiny bit) and start rolling the poori. If you dust it off with flour or use excess flour, the pooris will start burning in hot oil. However, if you roll using oil, pooris will come out soft and puffy.
Do Maintain The Temperature Of Oil
Instead of cooking pooris at a low or high flame, it is best to maintain the temperature of the oil at a medium flame. If the oil is cold, pooris will absorb the oil and become greasy. However, if the oil is too hot, your pooris will start burning from the outside while the insides will remain uncooked. Before you start cooking the pooris, drop a small amount of dough in the oil, if it rises, the oil is ready.
