Poorie (deep fried whole wheat bread)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (300 g) atta (whole wheat flour )
• Water to knead
• 2 tsp (20 gms) ghee (clarified butter), or according to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation

• Rub the ghee into the flour, and add the salt to it. Knead the flour into a stiffish dough (a finger needs a bit of pressure to press in), with the water.

• Cover the dough and leave to rest, for at least 30 minutes.

• Break the dough into 10-12 pieces, and shape each into round, smooth balls, smearing your hands with some oil, if the dough sticks.

• Roll the balls into a round of about 1/4 cm/1/8" thickness or use a poorie press to roll.

• Heat the oil in a kadahi, and when a small piece of dough comes up at once, put the rolled poorie into the oil. When it comes up at once, press gently with a slotted spoon in the centre, so that it puffs up. Keeping the heat high, turn it over and fry till a light brown on both sides.

• Remove from the fat with the slotted spoon, drain and place on an absorbent paper, before transferring on to a serving dish.