How to Make Poori (Fried Indian Flatbread)

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/29/21
Poori (Fried Indian Flatbread) on a plate

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 8 to 10 pieces
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
181 Calories
10g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 181
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 74mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 109mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Poori is a crispy, golden deep-fried Indian bread that can be served with any dish, whether vegetarian or not, and your favorite pickle. The perfect poori is pale golden in color and puffed up almost like a ball. They're best eaten the day they are made.

You can make poori with ingredients easily found in a typical grocery store, and you may already have them in your pantry. For authentic flavor, use ghee as your fat for adding to the dough and for frying. Poori is often paired with potato masala but is also delicious with any Indian-style dishes with a delicious gravy or sauce. Try pairing your homemade poori with masala dal or a fragrant curry.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour

  • Fine salt, to taste

  • 1/2 cup water, approximately

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or ghee, plus more for deep frying

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Poori (Fried Indian Flatbread) ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Place the whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add salt to taste, about one healthy pinch.

    Wheat flour in a large mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Add water, a little at a time, and mix the flour until a dough is formed. Adding less or more water may be necessary depending on the humidity in the air the day you are baking. Go slowly with the water and add it only as needed as you go along. The dough should be soft.

    Wheat flour dough ball in a bowl for poori

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. The real secret of soft pooris lies in the kneading. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough is smooth and medium soft in consistency, taking care not to over-knead.

    Kneading poori dough on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Add 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee to the dough and continue to kneed until the fat is incorporated and dough is silky in texture.

    Wheat flour dough with oil

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

    Dough in a bowl covered with a towel

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Remove from the refrigerator and divide the dough into golf ball-sized portions. Roll these portions into balls between your hands till they are smooth and without cracks.

    Wheat flour dough balls

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Lightly flour a rolling board or clean counter surface and roll each ball into a 5-inch circle (4-5 mm thick). For convenience, roll out as many pooris as you like and stack them with plastic wrap in between each.

    Wheat flour dough balls rolled out into round shapes on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  9. Heat a shallow amount of oil or ghee in a thick-bottomed, high-sided pan on medium heat. Once hot, fry the pooris one at a time, pressing gently on each side with a slotted spoon. This will help the poori to puff up. Fry on the first side until golden then turn over and fry the same way on the other side.

    Dough fried in a pan with oil for poori

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  10. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining pooris and serve immediately.

    Poori (Fried Indian Flatbread) on top of paper towels in a serving bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Why Do Pooris Become Hard?

If the dough is not soft and it's too dry, poori can become hard. They can also become hard if fried for too long and at a lower temperature. Sometimes, if they are rolled out too thinly before frying that can also negatively impact the texture.

Recipe Variation

Instead of water, you can use yogurt or milk. These substitutions make poori that are soft.

How to Store Poori

These are best if they are consumed the same day they are made, but if you want to store them while they're still warm, it's best to do so in an insulated container. They will become chewy if you store them before they cool completely. You can reheat them in a low oven (300 F) for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Once cool, you can stack them in between paper towels and then wrapped in foil to store for a couple of days. You can also freeze them this