POORI                    (makes 7-9)

1½ cup whole wheat flour

½ tsp salt

¾ cup warm water

2½ vegetable oil, plus extra for oiling

• Sieve the flour and place it in a large bowl, add salt, stir well.

• Make a well in the center and gradually pour in the water, mixing well with your fingers to for a dough, adding more water if necessary.

• Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead until it is smooth and elastic. Let stand in a warm place for 15 minutes.

• Divide the dough into 7-9  equal-size portions and with lightly oiled hands pat each into a smooth ball. On a lightly oiled counter, roll out each ball to for a thin circle.

• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet. Deep-fry the circles in batches for 5-8 minutes, turning once, until golden in color. Remove the pooris from the skillet and drain. Serve hot.

PURI  DAHIWALLAH (YOGHURT BREAD)                    (makes 12-14)

1 - 1½  (6-8 oz) cup plain flour

2-3 tbsp yoghurt

½ tsp salt

oil for frying 

• Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the middle, add the yoghurt and salt and combine with as little warm water as possible (about 3 tbsp) to make a dough that is soft but not sticky.

• Pull off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball on a lightly floured pasty board, then roll and flatten into a pancake. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

• Heat about 1 in (2.5 cm) of oil in a pan, add the puri and fry for 2 min. each side, until speckled and puffy.

DAL PURI ROT (DAL BREAD)  (SERVES 6-8)        

1 cup split yellow peas

4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 green chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

350 g (12 oz) plain flour

50 g (2 oz) butter

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp baking powder

salt to taste

•  Pick over the split peas, wash well and cook in about 3½ cups water for  10-15 minutes, until the peas can be squashed under the back of a wooden spoon. Drain well.
• Grind, pound or blend in a liquidizer the peas, garlic and green chilies. Mix the cumin, turmeric, with 1 tsp water and blend into the puree, which should be dry rather than sloppy.
• Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the middle and add the butter, oil, baking powder and salt. Combine the ingredients to make a dough, adding as little warm water as possible, about 3 tbsp. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
• Pull off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball on a lightly floured pastry board. Make a hollow in the ball and stuff in a spoonful of a split pea mix. Stretch the dough to cover the stuffing, then roll and flatten the ball to make a small pancake. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Heat a flat pan without any fat or oil. Cook the puri in the hot pan for about 2 minutes each side, until speckled and puffy.

RICE POORIS  (SERVES 8)        

4 cup of rice flour

salt to taste

5 cups oil

• Mix flour and enough water to make a soft dough.

• Add salt.

• Heat oil in a pan.

• Make small balls and pat into 8 cm pooris.

• Fry one by one till puffed and golden.

• Drain and remove.