The Fried puffed potato bread recipe is an Indian puri are light and puff up spectacularly, giving everyone the impression that you are a magician in the kitchen. They look much more complicated than they actually are. Puri are almost identical to chapatti, except that they are deep-fried in hot oil, which is what makes them puff up. The secret to the cooking is to flick hot oil over the surface of the puri while the bottom is frying in the oil.
Makes about 30 small puri or 15 large ones
Ingredients:
8oz (225g) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into equal-sized pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
about 1⁄4 cup warm water
vegetable oil for deep-frying
Method:
1. Put the potato in a saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until tender to the point of a knife. Drain, then return the potato to the pan over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, to allow it to dry out slightly. Mash and allow to cool.
2. Sift the flour and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Add the mashed potato and stir through. Make a slight well in the center, and add the melted butter and the water a little at a time, drawing the mixture together until you have a firm dough. Lightly flour your hands and a clean work surface, and knead the dough
thoroughly for 10 minutes until soft and elastic.
3. Cover and allow to stand for 30 minutes. (At this stage you could store the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours if well covered, but you get much better “puffy” results if you leave the dough resting for only 30 minutes.)
4. To make either small or large puri, roll the dough into 30 small balls (or 15 for the larger ones), then flatten each one into a circle using your hands. Roll out the discs of dough until they are 2–5mm (1⁄8–1⁄4in) thick. The diameter will vary according to how many you are making.
5. Heat enough oil for deep-frying until very hot. Add one or two puri at a time, depending on their size—do not crowd the pan. Immediately start to flick oil over the top of the dough so that it starts to puff up. When the puri is golden brown on the bottom, flick it over for another moment or two, and cook until golden on this side as well. Drain on paper towels. Repeat the process until all the puri are cooked. Serve hot with a vegetable curry or similar.
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| Fried puffed potato bread recipe |
