India is blessed with diversity in almost every aspect, food being the most obvious one. Here, festivals and celebration is incomplete without serving and eating rich food delicacies. When we think of merriment by way of food, one of the most loved preparations comes to mind – Poori!

What may seem simple and basic at first glance actually encompasses an amazing variety. From plain poori to bharwan kachori, the special fried poori constitutes an integral part of every Indian festivity. And now, here’s a crash course to crack the art of making poori, from simple to sophisticated.

Best five poori recipes for the festival season

1. How to make plain poori

Take two cups of wheat flour. Add one tablespoon of semolina, one teaspoon of salt and half teaspoon of ajwain. Mix well. Add milk, slowly mixing the ingredients and making a stiff dough. Add one tablespoon of oil in it and knead for 10-15 minutes. Keep it aside in a closed container for two hours. After two hours, knead it again for five minutes and make small round balls from this dough. Roll the balls in circular shape. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Deep fry the poori till golden brown, flipping from both sides and serve hot.

2. How to make aloo kachori (poori made with boiled potato)

Take two cups of wheat flour. Add two medium-sized boiled potatoes (grated), one teaspoon of red chilli powder, one teaspoon of salt, a pinch of hing powder, half teaspoon of fennel powder and one-fourth teaspoon of ajwain. Mix all these ingredients well. Add enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead it for 10-15 minutes adding one tablespoon of oil. Keep the dough in a closed container for an hour. It will get little softer. Make small balls out of it. Roll them in circular shape and deep fry till golden brown. Serve crispy hot.

3. How to make bedmi (poori stuffed with white urad dal)

Take half cup of white urad dal. Wash it. Soak it in water for two hours. Drain water and make a paste of this dal without adding water in a food processor. Take the paste out in a bowl and mix well one teaspoon of red chilli powder, a pinch of hing powder, one teaspoon of fennel powder and one teaspoon of coriander powder in it. Your filling is ready. Keep it aside. Now take two cups of wheat flour. Add two teaspoon of salt in it. Adding little water make a soft dough (not very soft but softer than plain poori dough). Knead it properly and keep aside in a closed container for an hour. Then, make small balls out of this dough. Roll them like plain poori and place one teaspoon of urad dal filling in the centre. Close the edges inwards making a knot in the centre. Now press it and roll it again in circular shape. Deep fry till golden and crisp. Serve steaming hot.

Note: In bedmi, salt is not added to urad dal filling as salt softens the mixture. The absence of salt in stuffing is compensated by adding double the quantity of salt in dough than required.

4. How to make palak (spinach) poori

Wash 250grams of spinach leaves. Boil them. Remove all the water and make a fine paste of boiled spinach leaves. Take two cups of wheat flour. Add spinach paste, one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of red chilli powder in it. Make a stiff dough adding little water if required. Keep it in a closed container for an hour. Now, add one tablespoon of oil in it and knead again for 10 minutes. Make small balls out of this dough and roll in round shape. Deep fry them in hot oil.

5. How to make sweet poori

Take two cups of wheat flour. Add 1.25 cups of boora and one tablespoon of pure ghee in it. Mix well. Add milk slowly to make a stiff dough. Keep the dough aside in a closed container for two hours. After two hours, knead the dough again for few minutes. Make small balls out of it. Roll them in circular shape and deep fry till golden brown.

Note: Boora is easily available at every Indian grocery shop. Don’t use sugar or powdered sugar instead of boora. Otherwise, your poories will become hard after frying.

The undying love for poori is witnessed in most Indian food menu of every gala event. Cooked in simple or elaborated way, it is the essence of a royal Indian platter.

Important: While rolling any type of poori, just brush every ball with little oil so that it does not stick to the rolling pin and rolling plate.