Methi Poori/Fenugreek leaves poori

Methi Poori for a special kick!

Poori is a fried flat bread. Poori is slowly disappearing from our family food chart as it is deep fried and poses unwanted health questions. I am strictly prohibited from eating them by family law and I have restraining orders from frying them too. But, I totally adore them. It is a culinary delight to watch them puffing up in hot oil.

Normally, Poori is made with whole wheat flour, salt and water and fried in vegetable oil. This recipe is a gentle twist on common Poori in an effort to make it a wee bit guilt-free. If adding some greens is a good excuse to call them healthy, then fall in line with me. Breaking a family rules is not a big deal to gobble these plumped up beauties. Oil does help us to grease those hardworking joints…right! And, I used multigrain, whole wheat flour…phew! So let’s go and fry!

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (multigrain)
• ¼ cup dried methi leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 pinch baking powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• water to knead
• vegetable oil to fry

1. Coarsely powder dry methi leaves in a blender.
2. In a mixing bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, crushed methi leaves and knead using water to make a stiff dough.
3. Make small plum sized balls of dough and roll it into circles.
4. Use oil instead of flour while rolling.
5. Heat oil to a smoking point and carefully immerse a rolled poori.
6. With a slotted spoon pour oil on the upper side until it puffs up.
7. Turn to the other side and fry till it is slightly browned.
8. Lift it out of the oil and hold it above the oil to drain.
9. Put it on a paper towel to drain completely.
10. Serve it hot with potato masala.

As I mention in my previous post, Poori with potato masala (recipe here) is the right food combination. A side dish of chick pea curry or vegetable korma is an accepted alternative too.

My son has his ingenious way of eating hot Poori. He pokes a hole in the puffed Poori and adds sugar into it and sweetens its interior by shaking and spreading. Then he rolls it up to take sweet bites from it. It tastes biscuit-like with the sugar on fried wheat flour.

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