There are so many great Indian restaurant starter dishes that go well with puris!
I can still remember the first time I tried a stuffed puri. I was at an Indian restaurant in Croydon with a group of friends. One ordered prawn puri and recommended I do the same. I went for the lamb keema puri and it was amazing.
Since that day about 20 years ago, puris have become sort of a naughty treat. I love them but they aren't exactly low in calories.
Fattening though they may be, they are so nice.
If you are having a group of people over for a curry night dinner and really want to impress, making homemade puris should be on your to-do list. You can serve them with prawns, lamb mince, potatoes, chicken tikka... almost anything you serve with these fried breads will go down well.
Most restaurants use cooking oil to fry their puris. The traditional way to fry them is in ghee. I'll leave it up to you. You will get a much more British Indian restaurant (BIR) experience if you use oil but I have to say I do love puris cooked in ghee.
International & UK Orders
Puri - How To Make Delicious Puris At Home
Ingredients
- 500g (4 cups) chapatti flour
- a pinch of salt
- warm water
- Oil or ghee for deep frying.
Instructions
- Sift the chapatti flour into a large bowl with the salt.
- Slowly add the warm water until you have a soft, pliable dough.
- Kneed the dough for about ten minutes and then set to the side, covered with a tea towel for about 30 minutes.
- Separate the dough into smaller balls that are just slightly larger than golf balls.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the small dough balls on a floured surface until round and quite flat.
- Heat the oil/ghee in a large wok. When the oil/ghee is hot enough to brown a bread crumb in about 25 seconds, it's ready for frying.
- Slowly lower the flat puris into the oil one at a time and deep fry for 30 seconds until the puris puff up and are light brown in colour. I usually turn my puris in the ghee/oil at least once.
- Remove when ready to rest on paper towels which will absorb any excess oil.
- You can serve puries on their own like you would naans or filled with the filling of your choice.
- For best results, serve immediately.
If you enjoy these homemade puris, please subscribe to my blog.
Dave says
I used to love Paratha's also very fattening! I will be trying these perhaps though with a low fat curry to compensate the calories lol !
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear Dave. They are worth the extra few minutes on the bike!
Debs @ The Spanish Wok says
Hi Dan,
My husband always ordered prawn puri in the UK. However, now we live in Spain he's been craving it for many years as none of the few indian restaurants here serve it! Problem is I've never tasted it as I don't eat prawns and so cannot begin the recreate it for him. Any chance you can provide a recipe please?
Dan Toombs says
Leave it with me Debs. I've got the most amazing prawn puri recipes. Just have to type it up and photograph it. Will be on my site shortly.
Debs @ The Spanish Wok says
Thanks Dan, looking forward to it.
Mina Joshi says
Great looking puris. I too prefer to make them when entertaining as they look and taste good even when they get cold.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you Mina. Puris are quite nice. It's just getting down to make them LOL.
Hilary Elliott says
Hi Dan
Found your website by chance and love it, we are from the midlands therefore have some of the best Indian restaurants! But we moved to Spain 10 yrs ago. I have tried your Curry Sauce, Jalfrazi, Bhu a and Rogan Josh 10/10 delicious. I am going to try your puri recipe as I love prawn puri but cannot find your recipe for this can you point me I. The right direction please?
Dan Toombs says
There you go Hilary. Enjoy. I love this one. 🙂 https://greatcurryrecipes.net/2012/07/11/an-easy-and-tasty-prawn-puri-recipe/
Glyn Tompkinson says
thank you for this website - so many fantastic recipes - I am working my way through them - cannot recommend this site enough
Dan Toombs says
Hi Glyn
Thank you very much. Keep in touch and happy cooking.
Dan
Gena Domek says
What can be used for”chapatti flour”please as I don’t have access to a speciality store
Dan Toombs says
Hi Gena
Chapatti flour is a mix of plain (all purpose) flour and whole wheat flour. 50/50 mix.
Thanks,
Dan
Claire Wright says
Can I make these in advance of a dinner party so I’m not frying them when we have guests? Thanks
Dan Toombs says
Hi Claire.
You could try cooking them in advance and warming them gently in the microwave, I think that would work.
thanks
Dan
Nigel Betterton says
Hi, can you use normal self raising flour?
Dan Toombs says
I have never tried but give it a go as I can't see it hurting.
Thanks
Dan
Chris says
Do you fill them like a naan? Place the filling in before rolling?
Dan Toombs says
Place the filling in once they are cooked.
Thanks
Dan
Renu says
My puree are very oily and don't know how to solve the problem.What am I doing wrong plz.
Dan Toombs says
You could try using a bit less oil? Just experiment a bit.
Thanks
Dan
Colin says
Lovely Jubbly top skin chef. Prawn patia puri my FAV! Great with curried keema lamb
Mince and red onion. Also nice with my deep flavoured keema lamb balti,with extra red peppers..
Dan Toombs says
Thanks very much, that all sounds great.
Dan
Colin says
@Dan Toombs, Hi there Dan, as you have notice, prices have shot through the roof to go out for a curry now. Try my new invention. Your puri bread, and pieces of lobster cooked in your puri sauce, only add black mustard seeds,small amount of tamarind sauce fresh coriander. Wow,, had it with 2 small red chillies no seeds LOVED IT. HAD it in London.
Cheers dan.