How to Make Homemade Puri for Panipuri

All Indians love chaat, and puri lies at the heart of every mouth-watering chaat. In India, you can easily buy readymade puri for pani puri. But readymade puris may taste oily or stale to some. For those who live abroad, the authentic taste of Indian pani puri at home can be a surreal experience. Therefore, we have brought you a simple recipe for puri for pani puri. Now you can enjoy delicious homemade dahi puri, sev puri or golgappa any time!

Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients for making the puri for pani puri. Read the details to ensure you find the right ingredients for this recipe.

• Semolina/Rava/Sooji (1 Cup) – Use fine and unroasted semolina for this recipe.

• Maida/All Purpose Flour/Refined Flour (2 Tbsp) – Add 2 tbsp maida for every cup of semolina. It helps the puris puff up and become crispy.

• Baking soda (1 pinch) – Avoid adding too much soda to keep sodium quantity to a minimum. Store-bought puris usually have high amounts of sodium.

• Salt (1/4 Tsp) – Change the quantity of salt as per your taste.

• Oil (2 Tsp) – This oil is added to the dough to make it supple and smooth. Use a neutral flavor oil such as vegetable, sunflower, or olive oil.

• Water (1/4 Cup) – Use more water if your dough feels too dry.

• Oil – For deep frying. Use as much as needed according to your frying pan.

The Traditional Method 

• Add the semolina, 1 tablespoon oil, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

• Add all-purpose flour or maida to the mixture. Stir the mixture with your hands or with a spoon. Ensure that all the ingredients are mixed evenly.

• Add 3 tablespoons of water.

• Mix all the ingredients with your hands and knead into a dough. Add 1 tablespoon of water and knead until it forms a soft dough. Sooji may absorb more water than expected, so remember to adjust the quantity.

• Elasticity will help the dough roll out more evenly and allow the puri to rise. So, remember to knead well and rest the dough to allow the gluten to develop.

• Keep the dough in a bowl or pan and cover it with a moist towel to rest it. Please keep it for at least 30 to 60 minutes. 

• After resting the dough, it will be ready to roll out. So, divide the dough into two or three parts and prepare to roll on a clean surface.

• Roll the dough into a large round disk. It should be thinner than one millimeter. Ensure it is rolled evenly on all sides.

• Cut the puris from the rolled-out dough with a cookie cutter or small bowl. Keep the roundels neatly on a plate so they do not touch each other. Keep them covered with a moist towel until you are ready to fry.

• Heat oil in a frying pan. Test it with a small piece of dough when the oil is medium hot. The oil is ready if the dough comes up to float and sizzle.

• Slide a few puris into the oil; they will puff up quickly. Fry them until lightly golden and take them out before they get overcooked.

• Drain the fried puris on a paper towel to eliminate the excess oil. Once they are cool, they will be crispy and ready for chaat. To preserve these puris, keep them in an airtight container. 

Making Puri for Pani Puri, The Rotimatic Way

Rotimatic Settings: Thickness - 1 | Oil - 1 | Roast - 1

• Switch the Rotimatic on and select the ‘Puri’ option in the Menu.

• Select the brand of flour you wish to use.

• Fill the flour, water, and oil container to prepare the dough with the recommended ingredients.

• Click ‘Play’

• When the Rotimatic rolls out the puri dough, use a cookie cutter or small bowl to cut the desired size for puri.

• Deep fry the puris in hot oil until they are golden brown.

• Drain the fried puris on a paper towel to eliminate the excess oil. Once they are cool, they will be crispy and ready for chaat. To preserve these puris, keep them in an airtight container.

Tips & Variations for Making Puri for Pani Puri

• Use a cookie cutter method for cutting out the puris. Rolling a large dough sheet ensures even thickness, and using a cookie cutter gives the same shape and size for all puris. It also helps minimize waste by re-rolling the scraps to make more puris.

• Use warm or hot water or plain soda to knead the puri dough. It helps make the puris puffy and crispy.

• Do not omit the step for resting the dough. Also, remember to knead again after resting the dough. A well-rested dough develops enough gluten and elasticity for easy-to-roll sheets. In turn, you can ensure even thickness and smooth puris when you roll them out and cut them.

• Measure all ingredients in grams for precise quantities. It will help make a good quality dough perfect for puris – not too dry or wet. Resting the dough will balance the consistency to make it soft and ensure crispness when fried.

• The quality of semolina you use can influence the final results. Always use Indian semolina or fine sooji for this recipe. Any other quality of semolina, cream of wheat, or coarse semolina can result in denser puris, or puris, which are not properly puffed up or flat puris.

• Remember to cover the dough with a moist kitchen towel when you rest the dough or cut our puri discs. Leaving the dough open will make it too dry. The dough needs sufficient moisture to help create steam during the frying process and puff up the puris.

• Slow fry the puris to ensure perfect crispiness and a golden-brown color. Frying at a high temperature may puff up the puris, but they may turn dark too soon without getting crispy. Regulate the heat under your frying pan to keep the oil medium hot when frying the puris. 

• Keep the oil temperature between 375°F to 400°F for slow frying. The puris need around one minute in the oil with thirty seconds on each side. One minute is sufficient for excess moisture to evaporate and the puris to puff up and get golden brown and crispy.

• When dropping puris in oil, you may keep the flame high, but as the puris start to puff up, lower the heat to a simmer and let the puris slowly fry. Regulating the oil temperature is critical for making puris for pani puri.

• Once you drop the puris in oil, use a heat-resistant spatula to splash hot oil on the puris. It helps them puff up without losing too much moisture in the first few seconds.

• After your puris are ready, please keep them in a low-heat oven set at 200°F for a few minutes. It can help reduce any excess moisture and keep them crispy for longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How Long Do Puris for Pani Puri Last?

When stored properly, puris can last for many weeks, if not months. Please wait until the puris have completely cooled down and store them in a dry, airtight container. Keep the container in a dry spot and use it as needed.

2. How to Make Puris for Pani Puri Crispy like Store-Bought Puris?

The crispiness of the puris depends on how well they are fried and how well the oil temperature is regulated. The frying oil should be between 375°F to 400°F. When dropping puris in the hot oil, keep the flame high, but when the puris begin to puff up, you must lower the heat and slowly fry them. If the puris have excess moisture, they may puff up but will not be crispy. If you feel your puris are soggy even after frying, place them in an oven at 200°F for a few minutes. 

3. What is the Best Technique for Rolling Puris for Pani Puri?

Using the new Rotimatic, you can easily get perfect and evenly rolled puris. However, if you want to roll them by hand, use the cookie-cutter method for the best results. Roll out a large dough sheet until it is less than one millimeter thick. Then, use a cookie cutter or small bowl to cut roundels for puris. It will yield uniformly shaped puris every time. 

Making golgappa at home is a labor of love. We hope you try this recipe for puri for pani puri. Make the journey easier with the Rotimatic. It makes high-quality Indian bread with a minimum effort every time.