Deep fried goodness of flatbread made with spelt and whole wheat flour and a generous sprinkle of dried fenugreek leaves, these Spelt Methi Pooris are an indulgence that makes you feel less guilty and something you definitely deserve on those cold winter days!
Pooris are essentially deep fried flatbreads that puff up to form gorgeous golden spheres! They are then dunk into potato curry – either a plain potato curry with onions and green chillies in it or a tomato onion potato curry or chole – a garbanzo bean curry, and devoured. A nice steaming hot cup of chai on the side completes the picture of a perfect breakfast!
Growing up, Pooris were always a Sunday affair. Most all Sundays, Amma made pooris and even though it was the same old regular poori with potato curry, we would always look forward to that breakfast.
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Pooris are usually made with just whole wheat flour or Atta, but in the last few years, I have started experimenting with and trying to add more ancient whole grains to our diet and I have had quite a good success with substituting part of Atta in pooris with spelt flour.
Spelt flour has gluten in it, so it does not change the texture of the pooris or have any difficulty working with the dough. Spelt flour does have more vitamins, specifically B-vitamins, minerals (iron and manganese) and more fiber than regular whole wheat flour. Its also got a nuttier taste to it. If for some reason, you have difficulty digesting wheat, spelt flour can be a good alternative as it is more water soluble than wheat so digests easily as well. It however contains gluten so it wont work for you if you have Celiac disease or any other form of gluten intolerance.
So, let go on and see how to make these spelt methi pooris!
Spelt Methi Pooris – The Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour / atta
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ajwain / carom seeds, optional
- 4 tbsp kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 cups sunflower / grape seed oil, for deep frying
Method:
Add the whole wheat flour, spelt flour, salt, ajwain and kasuri methi to a mixing bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this and use the dough hook. Some use a food processor. You can use your hands to mix as well.
Add the water, a little by little, mixing the flours well, till they all just about come together to a soft dough. You may not need all the water, depending on the flour you are using and the amount of water it absorbs. The test for the atta or dough is so that it is smooth and soft all over but not sticky. If you do end up adding more water than needed and the dough becomes sticky, add more flour.
Keep the dough covered with a damp kitchen towel.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
Divide the dough into about 10 equal parts and roll into balls and keep aside. Take each ball and pat it down to a small circle in the palm of your hands. Dip a small edge, very carefully in the oil ( if you are not comfortable with this, keep aside about a ¼ cup oil in a small bowl) and roll it out with a rolling pin to a disk of about 5 inches diameter. It shouldn’t be too thin a disk or else it wont puff up. Roll a few disks before you start frying them up.
Check to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping a pinch of the dough into the oil. If it rises up immediately, then the oil is ready.
Keeping the oil on high heat gently lower one poori into the hot oil. As it starts rising to the surface, push the sides down a little with a slotted spoon. This helps to puff up the pooris. Flip over and cook for about 30 secs or so.
Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining pooris.
Enjoy with your favorite potato curry or chole.
Spelt Methi Pooris
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour / atta
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ajwain / carom seeds , optional
- 4 tbsp kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 cups sunflower / grape seed oil , for deep frying
Instructions
- Add the whole wheat flour, spelt flour, salt, ajwain and kasuri methi to a mixing bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this and use the dough hook. Some use a food processor. You can use your hands to mix as well.
- Add the water, a little by little, mixing the flours well, till they all just about come together to a soft dough. You may not need all the water, depending on the flour you are using and the amount of water it absorbs. The test for the atta or dough is so that it is smooth and soft all over but not sticky. If you do end up adding more water than needed and the dough becomes sticky, add more flour.
- Keep the dough covered with a damp kitchen towel.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
- Divide the dough into about 10 equal parts and roll into balls and keep aside. Take each ball and pat it down to a small circle in the palm of your hands. Dip a small edge, very carefully in the oil ( if you are not comfortable with this, keep aside about a ¼ cup oil in a small bowl) and roll it out with a rolling pin to a disk of about 5 inches diameter. It shouldn’t be too thin a disk or else it wont puff up. Roll a few disks before you start frying them up.
- Check to see if the oil is hot enough by dropping a pinch of the dough into the oil. If it rises up immediately, then the oil is ready.
- Keeping the oil on high heat gently lower one poori into the hot oil. As it starts rising to the surface, push the sides down a little with a slotted spoon. This helps to puff up the pooris. Flip over and cook for about 30 secs or so.
- Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining pooris.
- Enjoy with your favorite potato curry or chole.
Nutrition
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