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The memory of the first time I had Farsi Puri is still fresh. My neighbours in Gandhinagar were like any other Gujarati family, especially when it came to making and storing farsaan. Whenever I went to play with the kids, I would be invited to have some farsaan with chhaas or sharbat—though the adults would have it with chai. They had large steel and aluminium trunks and barrels in the kitchen. Every time one was opened, the aroma of fried farsaan would simply pull all of us kids into the kitchen, reaching out for the goodies the lady of the house had for us.
On one such occasion, I was offered these crispy, round-shaped, deep-fried discs called Farsi Puri with some green chutney. It’s clearly one of my favourite food memories from my childhood, and even today, when I bite into a Farsi Puri I’m reminded of the days which were simpler and so full of yummy farsaan. If you’re intrigued and want to give these Farsi Puri a try, here’s everything you need to know.
In Gujarat, the tradition is to make different kinds of farsaan or snacks that can be stored for long periods of time. Farsi Puri is just one such snack, but stands out because of its longevity and taste. The dough for the snack is mildly spiced with cumin seeds or ajwain. The dough is thin rolled out into thin discs, perforated with a fork, deep fried, cooled and stored away for an evening snack.
Farsi Puri isn’t just prepared for consumption on a daily basis with chai or coffee, but also for special occasions. In fact, in Gujarati households, Farsi Puri is especially prepared and served during the festivals of Holi and, more importantly, Diwali. Because the snack is dry and deep fried, it also makes for a great gift during festivals, particularly if you are looking for savoury snacks.
Whipping up Farsi Puri at home is pretty easy. If you know how to make the dough, then all you need in addition is time to roll out and deep fry this snack. Don’t believe me? Just give the recipe below a shot.
Ingredients:
1 cup refined flour or maida
2 tbsp semolina or sooji
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp carom seeds or ajwain
½ tsp black pepper powder
Salt, to taste
Water, as required
Oil or ghee, for frying (optional)
Method:
1. Place the flour, semolina, cumin powder, caron seeds, black pepper and salt in a large bowl.
2. Mix well, then add water gradually to make a stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 20-25 equal parts.
4. Roll out each dough ball as thinly as possible, then perforate the surface using a fork.
5. Heat oil or ghee in a large wok. Once the oil is hot, deep fry all the Farsi Puri one by one. You can also fry the Farsi Puri in an air fryer.
6. Set the Farsi Puri aside until cool. Once they cool down completely, shift them into an airtight container.
