Farsi Puri (Crispy Gujarati Snack)
Farsi Puri is a crispy deep-fried Gujarati snack made with plain flour, semolina, cumin seeds, and whole black peppercorns. A traditional Diwali farsan that stays crispy for up to two weeks in an airtight tin.
Equipment
- Kadai or deep frying pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1½ cups maida plain white flour
- 3 tablespoons semolina suji/rava
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons ghee or neutral cooking oil
- Salt to taste
- 4-5 tablespoons water or as needed
For the topping
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
For frying
- Cooking oil, enough for deep frying
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a wide bowl, combine maida, semolina, cumin seeds, ghee or oil, and salt. Rub the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition. Knead into a stiff dough: it should be firmer than paratha dough.
- Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 10-15 minutes.
Roll and prepare
- Divide the dough into small portions. Roll each into a thin circle, about 3-4 mm thick and 3-4 inches in diameter.
- Press 2-3 whole peppercorns onto each puri. Prick the entire surface with a fork or knife tip (4-5 pricks per puri). This prevents the puris from puffing up during frying.
Fry
- Heat oil in a kadai over medium-low flame. Test the oil by dropping in a small piece of dough: it should sizzle steadily and rise to the surface.
- Deep fry 3-4 puris at a time until light golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per batch. They will darken slightly as they cool.
- Drain on kitchen paper. Cool completely at room temperature before storing.
Notes
- For the crispiest result, keep the dough stiff. Soft dough = soft puri. If you can press your thumb in easily, add a little more flour and knead again.
Fry on medium-low heat. High heat browns the outside too quickly and leaves the centre underdone. - Add an extra tablespoon of ghee to the dough for a melt-in-mouth texture.
Cool completely at room temperature before closing the storage tin: warm puris trapped in a sealed container will soften. - Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10-15 days. Do not refrigerate.
- To make vegan: use neutral cooking oil (sunflower or refined) instead of ghee.
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