Indian unleavened whole wheat bread (puris) recipe

Recipe for indian unleavened whole wheat bread (puris) in our easy ethnic recipes collection. The breads that indians eat are very different from the plump, crusty loaves that are familiar to westerners. Most indian bread has no leavening agent like yeast, so it does not rise when it is cooked. Puris and chapatis, the most popular kinds of indian bread, are flat pancakes that resemble thick mexican tortillas. Like tortillas, they are cooked on a very hot griddle and are best eaten right after they are made.

Recipe ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

(*) Kheema makes a spicy meat filling. For vegetarian samosas, fill the pastries with potatoes and peas. To avoid unwanted fat, bake rather than deep-fry the samosas. Place the stuffed triangles on a cookie sheet, brush each with a little butter or oil, and bake at 350 degrees F until they turn golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

How to make indian unleavened whole wheat bread (puris)

• Put 2 cups flour into a large mixing bowl.
• Cut butter into small pieces. Make a hollow in the center of the flour and add butter. Rub butter into flour with your fingertips until mixture looks like large bread crumbs.
• Mix salt into water. Add enough water, a little at a time, to flour mixture to make a firm, but not stiff, dough.
• Knead dough in bowl for about 5 or 10 minutes. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
• Divide dough into pieces about the size of walnuts. Roll each piece into a smooth ball with your hands.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup flour onto a flat surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll out each ball until it resembles a thin pancake, about 1/8 inch thick.
• In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. (*) Carefully place each puri in oil, one at a time. Using a spatula, carefully splash oil onto puris while frying. This will make puris puff up and will cook the top side of each one. Fry puris about 2 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Remove puris from skillet and drain on paper towels.
• Continue cooking puris, one at a time. Wrap the cooked ones in a towel to keep them warm.
• Brush cooked puris with butter and serve warm.

(*) To make chapatis, cook each circle of dough in a skillet without oil. When small brown spots appear on the bottom of the dough and the edges begin to curl up, about 1 minute, turn the chapati over with a spatula. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Preparation time: 35 minutes plus 1 hour standing time
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 12 to 15 puris

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