Make puri-puri with this store-bought shortcut

| February 2, 2023 | Food news | No Comments

The only thing better than a good recipe? When something is so easy, you don’t even need one. you welcome in Simplya column where we talk you through the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed.

There’s a lot to be said for people who get up at the crack of dawn to make elaborate breakfasts for their loved ones. The whole endeavor screams selflessness, and at some point in our lives, we all aspire to be that person. But let’s face it: Even if you’re a morning person with a nurturing side, you probably don’t want to measure, mix, knead, rest, shape, roll, and fry before sunrise. This means that no one gets purees.

I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get up at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday and cover your plate of mullet with your eggs by 8:15. You can invite 12 of your friends over for brunch and serve the purees effortlessly.

Puris – fried flatbread – is a popular breakfast food throughout South Asia. In Pakistan, people get up early on weekend mornings to drive to the roadside dhaba to get their hands on this thin, chewy bread. A server comes to your window, takes your order, and before you know it, brings you a gold-encrusted metal tray, hot and puffy, along with a few sides like aloo bhujia, channa, suji halwa, or a fried egg. The joy of sitting in your car, eating food that is definitely not meant to be eaten in a car, is unparalleled. Half the experience is balancing the tray on your lap, while dripping grease and yolk onto your wrists, and eating as fast as you can, not only because it tastes good, but also because the tray burns your thighs.

For those of us living in the diaspora, mullet seems inaccessible as a casual breakfast. Recipes can be extensive and time consuming, so people often save them for special occasions or weekend projects.

This trick only involves two ingredients: tortillas and oil. It’s a similar technique to Mexican and Mexican-American dishes like gorditas infladas, salbute, and puffy tacos: fried masa tortillas that puff up like balloons and are served with sweet and savory fillings and toppings. My Puri shortcut relies on store-bought flour tortillas that swell dramatically in hot oil.

I learned it from my mom (who learned it from her friend, who learned it from another friend, and so forth). The result is so similar to puri, not even a craving granny could have picked it as a quack.

Here’s how Shortcut Puri works:

All you need Flour tortillas And Neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola). In a deep skillet or saucepan, wider than the width of the tortilla—a pan works great—heat about 1 inch of oil to about 400 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, just make sure the oil is shimmering and shimmering. Carefully place one tortilla into the hot oil, then press it down using a mesh skimmer, also known as a spider or colander. (It should immediately start sizzling and hissing. If it doesn’t, the oil isn’t hot enough—keep it warm, then try again.) Within 15 seconds or so, the tortilla should puff up, pushing out the scraper. up. At this point, lift the skimmer so the tortilla can inflate like a balloon. Once it’s golden brown on the first side, flip it over and brown the other side. Since the tortilla is already cooked, the goal is to give it a nice color and crisp. Each side should take 30 seconds or less. Drain the mullet on a paper towel while you fry the rest.

A few troubleshooting tips: Thick, doughy tortillas — versus thin and flaky — work better here. I love Mission Brand. If the tortilla does not puff up, a small tear in the seam may be to blame. While this results in a less exciting puffed purée, it will still be delicious.

The mullet is a blank canvas: top with a fried egg and noodles. Use it to collect leftover chana masala from the night before. Spread it with labneh and crispy hot pepper. Or even dust the brown sugar and cinnamon, roll it up and dip it in the coffee.