Soft Poori

Steps

1. 1.

   Make A Stiff Dough

   Mix the atta, semolina, salt and sugar in a wide bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and rub it into the flour with your fingertips for a minute. Add the water a little at a time and knead into a firm, smooth dough. It should feel tight and spring back when you press it. You may not need all the water. Atta varies a lot.

2. 2.

   Rest It Briefly

   Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and rest the dough for 15 to 20 minutes. Not hours. A long rest softens the dough too much and the pooris soak up oil.

3. 3.

   Divide And Roll

   Knead the dough for another minute and pinch off 16 equal balls, each a bit smaller than a golf ball. Smear a few drops of oil on the rolling board and pin. Roll each ball into a round about 10 cm across and 2 mm thick. Keep the thickness even all the way to the edge. Lay the rolled ones in a single layer on a plate or cloth and keep them covered so they don't dry out. Don't stack them, they stick.

4. 4.

   Heat The Oil

   Pour the frying oil into a kadai or deep heavy pan and heat it on medium high, to about 190°C. Drop in a tiny piece of dough. It should rise to the top straight away with lots of bubbles. If it sinks and sits there, wait. If it browns in a few seconds, turn the heat down a touch.

5. 5.

   Fry The Soft Poori

   Slide one poori into the oil, away from you so nothing splashes back. It sinks for a second and floats up. Press it gently with the back of a slotted spoon, or keep splashing hot oil over the top, and it will balloon up. Flip it and fry another 15 to 20 seconds until light golden with a few darker spots. Lift it out, let it drip over the kadai, then stand it on its edge in a colander so the oil runs off.

6. 6.

   Keep Them Soft And Serve

   Stack the fried pooris in a bowl or casserole lined with a clean cloth and cover. The trapped steam keeps them soft and pliable. Fry the rest one at a time, checking the oil between batches. Serve hot with aloo sabzi, chole, or suji halwa for a proper halwa poori breakfast.