Stuffed Poori

June 22, 2021

Poori are small deep-fried flatbreads from the Indian kitchen. The dough is simple — just flour and water — but when it hits hot oil it puffs up into a hollow ball. Here they are filled with a spiced paste of soaked black beans, anise seeds, coriander, cumin, and chilli, so each bread becomes a small meal in itself.

Stuffed breads are an old technique in India. Protein and spices are wrapped into the dough so the bread can be carried and eaten by hand. Asafoetida (hing) is the spice that ties the flavours together — a little gives depth, too much becomes overpowering.

Serve hot as a snack or alongside a light soup. They are best eaten straight from the fryer while the crust is still crisp.

Ingredients

Makes 16 breads

175 g dried black beans
500 g plain flour
1 green chilli, freshly chopped
¼ tsp salt
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Spices

1 tbsp anise seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp white cumin seeds
½ tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp asafoetida powder

Directions

Soak the black beans overnight in plenty of cold water. The next day, rinse under running water and leave to drain completely.

Sift the flour into a bowl. Add cold water a little at a time, stirring, until the dough comes together soft and supple. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Put the drained beans in a food processor with the chopped chilli, salt, and all the spices. Blend to a rough, cohesive paste. This is the filling.

Dampen your hands and divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Brush each portion with a little oil so it does not dry out while you work.

Roll each piece of dough out into a flat round about 5 cm in diameter. Place a spoonful of filling in the centre, fold the edges up around the filling, and pinch together into a sealed ball. Oil your hands and roll the ball smooth.

Roll each filled ball out carefully on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 7 cm across. Do not press too hard — the filling must stay inside the bread.

Heat the oil in a pot or wok to about 355°F (180°C). Fry the breads one at a time. Lower one into the oil and hold it under for a moment with a slotted spoon — it will puff up. Turn and fry until both sides are golden brown.

Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Notes

Active time about 30 minutes, plus overnight soaking for the beans and 30 minutes resting for the dough. Frying takes 15–20 minutes.

Asafoetida (hing) is available at Indian shops. It smells sharp raw but becomes mild and onion-like once cooked. It can be left out if unavailable — the breads will just be less deeply spiced.

The oil is hot enough when a small piece of dough bubbles up to the surface immediately. If the breads do not puff, the oil is too cold or the dough is rolled too thick.