Puri

What can be more delightful than waking up on a weekend with a delicious aroma of Puri being fried in the kitchen? A perfect breakfast dish served with love throughout the Indian subcontinent is Puri-bhaji along with a spicy chutney or pickle can never go wrong. Puri, also spelled as Poori, is a deep-fried bread made from unleavened dough of whole-wheat flour that originated centuries ago in the Indian subcontinent. Puri is a famous bread or side dish in whole of India and can be eaten at any time of the day with a hot gravy or any savory dish. In special ceremonial functions or festivals, Puri is a common item prepared in households along with other vegetarian food offered in Hindu prayers as prasadam.

The name Puri or Poori is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘purika’ from ‘pur’ which means ‘filled’. A deep-fried brown flatbread, Puri is accompanied with any kind of savory curry, bhaji, pickles, chutneys, or dal masala, the most common of them being aloo bhaji which makes the most famous combination of Aloo Puri. In some parts of India, Puri is also consumed with sweet dishes such as Kheer or Halwa which signifies a celebration or an auspicious occasion.

The scrumptious puffed-up bread is served in different variants in different regions of India. One of the most famous variants of Puri is Bhatura, which is larger in size than Puri and made with leavened sour dough while often accompanied with a spice gravy of chickpeas. In Orissa, a large size Puri is made during the Bali Yatra which is called Thunka Puri and another variant known as Bedvi, which is a saltier and stiffer version of regular Puri stuffed with lentil mixture, is served in the Northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Puri is used in Middle East as well by the street vendors for fried chicken wraps. A Bengali version of Puri known as Luchi is made exclusively with all-purpose flour and is relished with delight.