Masala Puri

When you have masala puri on the menu, it’s either a special occasion or you’re simply indulging in the finer things in life. I rarely fry these days as most things are made in the oven, hob or on a bbq. There are a few occasions however, where I don’t mind frying snacky foods such as samosas, pakroas and masala puri’s.

What are Masala Puri’s?

Quite simply, they’re large, airy, fried dough balls. Masala Puri’s are made with chilli, turmeric, salt and caraway seeds. If you’ve not eaten caraway seeds before, the can taste quite over powering, so add a little less than what’s listed in the ingredients on your first attempt or switch it out for cumin seeds, if you prefer.

If you’re a health conscious individual, you might want to save this recipe for a day where you’ll allow yourself to digest the calories. I’ve often had good intentions of eating 3 or 4, but realistically, it’s been double that!

Give these Masala puri’s a try with a cup of masala chai and lime pickle, or (a bit unusual) a chilli, garlic yoghurt dip (my mum used to make this years ago) it’s favourite in India, often eaten at breakfast or lunch…I prefer to eat it for brunch, however.

[lt_recipe name=”Masala Puri Recipe” servings=”Makes 20-25″ prep_time=”10M” cook_time=”20M” total_time=”30M” difficulty=”Medium” summary=”Get the kettle on and serve up brunch with masala puri, lime pickle chutney and a masala chai, brunch at it’s best.” print=”yes” image=”https://www.spicella.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Masala-Puri-Recipe.jpg” ingredients=”200g Wheat Flour;1/4 tsp Caraway Seeds;1/4 tsp Salt;1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder;1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder;1 tbs Olive Oil;100ml Hot Water” ]In a mixing bowl put in the wheat flour, caraway seeds, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and give it a mix.;Next add olive oil into the flour and mix it in as much as possible so that oil is sporadically absorbed.;Add the hot water gradually and mix into the flour to eventually form a dough. If using a spoon to bind together, you may want to eventually knead the dough with your hands to ensure it forms into a smooth large ball. Knead for approx 2-3 minutes.;Once the ball is smooth, make approximately 23 dough balls (each weighing 15g).;Using a rolling pin and flat surface, roll out the dough balls into flat round circles approximately 10cm in diameter.;Upon rolling out all the dough balls, heat oil in the fryer.;Fry 4-5 puri’s at a time depending on how large your fryer is. You don’t want them to stick whilst you fry, so ensure there is space for them to cook without an overlap. Once you put the puri into the fryer, it should rise to the top after a few seconds and the oil should be bubbling around the puri at this point. ;Fry on each side for about 1-2 minutes ensuring to separate the puris from each other and turning them earlier if needed.;Drain the puris on kitchen roll so that it absorbs any excess oil.;;[/lt_recipe]

Equipment required

• Mixing bowl
• Rolling pin and a flat surface to roll
• Fryer
• Sunflower Oil for frying

Tips for making Masala Puri

• Using fairly hot boiled water to make the dough will ensure the dough ball is soft in texture.
• If you find your dough ball is sticky, sprinkle some more flour to get it to a smooth dough consistency. You can also add a little olive oil to break up the stickiness too.
• Don’t flour your surface before rolling out the puri’s, to avoid flour residue when frying.