Xtra Flaky Farsi Puri

EVENT: MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON#92

THEME: A-Z  FLATBREADS AND MORE – INDIAN FLATBREADS

What is Mega Blogging Marathon?

Well, its a group of bloggers who get together to post a dish for 26 days according to the chosen theme. For more details check out the initiator Srivalli’s page here. For this theme we had a choice of 3:

1. A-Z Indian Flatbreads that are not made using batter e.g. like rotis

2. A-Z Indian Flatbreads using batters e.g. dosa

3. A-Z International Flatbreads.

I decided to opt for option number 1. India has such a huge variety of flatbreads to offer that are made on the stove top, in the tandoor, in the oven, under the grill or fried. Its going to be a challenge to look for flatbreads beginning with all the letters of the alphabet as for this group cannot use batter based flatbreads. However, am up for this challenge.

We are nearly coming to the end of the Mega BM, today is Day 24 and brings with it the most difficult letter X. Its so difficult to find dishes that begin with X. When I was thinking of Indian Cuisine and Indian flatbreads, Xacuti comes to mind which is a fiery Goan spice blend. I thought of making the spice blend and instead of using it in a curry which its usually used for, I wanted to add it to the dough to make fiery masaledar parathas.

Then what made me change my mind? My mum.. bless her soul. When I was looking at the dates when I would be posting the flatbreads, a flatbread beginning with letter X fell on 28th September, my mum’s birthday. As some of you may know my mum made few traditional dishes but made them well. I’ve posted most of the dishes that she made well except for her famous farsi puri. She did not make the normal kind that most of us make. Hers were the flaky and crispy type. We all use to love them, my dad would dunk it in tea, we would get them in our break box (at that time there were no lunch boxes). So I thought how do I make her flaky farsi puri for the Mega BM. Members know that when we’re doing this mega marathons whenever we get stuck with a letter, adjectives come to the rescue. For me the word Xtra came to the rescue. As a former teacher I would not encourage the use of the word Xtra as that’s not the correct spelling but desperate times require desperate solutions.

So here’s to my dearest mum, her famous xtra flaky crispy farsi puri. Remembering you on your special day. Hope you are happy and at peace where ever you are.

Xtra flaky farsi puri is usually enjoyed as a snack on its own or with some tea or coffee. It also makes a nice salty travel snack. Whenever we would travel to Mombasa by road my mum would make these puris. We’d stop at the petrol station, use the washrooms, fill petrol and at the same time open our hampers and enjoy the food packed by my mum and other families who would travel with us. Usually my dad’s friends and their families and us, would all travel together to Mombasa for our annual holiday. Back then we didn’t take numerous holidays in a year, it was only one and that too on Christmas Day. My dad would close the shop in the evening and we’d travel at night. Since we would be so many, my mum would prepare the puris a week ahead. I would help her to smear the paste on the rolled dough, she would roll it up tightly and then I would help her to cut them into pieces and press them gently. Later on the duty progressed to helping her to roll them into small puris.

XTRA FLAKY FARSI PURI

Makes 10

1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)

1 tsp coarse pepper powder

½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

⅓ – ½ cup water

For the paste:

2 tbsp rice flour

½ tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tbsp melted ghee

oil for deep frying

extra flour for rolling

1. Mix the rice flour, cornflour and ghee and make a paste. Leave it on the side.
2. To make the dough mix the flour, coarse pepper powder, cumin seeds and salt.
3. Add oil and rub it into the flour.
4. Add water and make a dough that is not soft and not too hard. Knead the dough for a few minutes.
5. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or a cotton cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll each part into a ball and flatten it between the palms.
7. Using a little bit of flour (not too much), roll each dough part into thin circles of about 8 inches in diameter.
8. Place one rolled dough or roti on the work or rolling board.
9. Smear the paste over it, till the edges using a pastry brush.
10. Place the second rolled dough or roti on it.
11. Smear the paste over it.
12. Place the third rolled dough or roti on top of it.
13. Smear the paste over it.
14. Place the last roti or rolled dough over it.
15. Smear it with the paste.
16. Roll tightly the stacked circles or rotis like a Swiss roll.
17. Cut into 10 equal parts.
18. Take one part of the 10 pieces and place on the rolling board with the cut part facing up. Press it down gently.
19. Roll into a 3 inch diameter flatbread. Repeat steps 18 and 19 with the remaining pieces and keep them on the side till the oil becomes hot.
20. Heat the oil for frying in a wok or karai over medium heat.
21. Drop a tiny piece of dough in the oil. If it sizzles and comes up immediately then the oil is ready.
22. Drop the 3-4 rolled puris   at a time into the hot oil over low to medium heat and fry till it becomes crispy, the layers open up and it turns light pink in colour.
23. Take it out of the oil using a slotted spoon and keep in a colander for the extra oil to drain out.
24. When it becomes cool, layer the air tight container with a kitchen towel and store the farsi puris in it till required.

 

Tips:

• Don’t use too much ghee or oil for smearing otherwise the puris will open up on frying.
• Its best to tuck the end part under the puri so it does not open up on rolling and frying.
• Can replace the ghee with melted butter or oil.
• Can add carom seeds (ajwain, ajmo) instead of cumin seeds.

 

A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either

• add a comment below,
• send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
•  tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
• or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962

 

You may want to check out what flatbreads I’ve made so far for this event:

A for Akki Roti

B for Bhakri

C for Chousela

D for Dalpuri

E for Ekadashi Thalipeeth

F for Fungawela Mag na Paratha/Sprouted Bean Parathas

G for Gulachi Poli

H for Hyderabadi Halwe ki puri

I for Indori Masala Roti

J for Juar Jo Dhodho

K for Kulcha

L for Luchi

M for Makki Roti

N for Nagori Puri

O for Onion and Carrot Ragi Roti

P for Padvari Rotli

Q for Qubani Naan

R for Rotla

S for Surati Paratha

T for Tikkar

U for Ubbu Roti

V for Vastad Roti

W for Wheat Khakhra

 

Check out what other Blogging Marathoners have made:

 

Sending this recipe to the following event: