Bedmi Poori

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Bedmi Poori

Bedmi Poori is a deep-fried bread prepared with skinned black lentils (dhuli urad dal), wheat flour and spices. Bedmi Poori is a very popular breakfast in Delhi and some other parts of India. Traditionally it is paired with a potato subzi (aloo ke subzi).

While growing up, Bedmi Poori was my favourite weekend brunch, and my mother would often prepare it at home, or we did a takeaway. It is a standard breakfast in Northern India and every household have their own favourite recipe.

Bedmi poori is traditionally prepared with skinned black lentil (urad dal) but some people also prepare it with Moong dal. Both taste delicious with the difference being the texture- Ural dal Poori is crispier in texture. Also, there are two methods of making Bedmi Poori. Some people prefer to making a urad dal filling and stuff the poori with that whereas some people prefer to mix it all while kneading. I prefer to add the urad dal while preparing the dough as it is easier and additionally, I feel it is easier to roll.

Although Bedmi Poori is usually complemented with Hing Wale Aloo, Dubki Wale Aloo, Delhi Street Style Aloo Chola Subzi, Khatta Meetha Bataka Nu Shaak, you can enjoy it with any Indian curries.

Ingredients

To Grind
1 cup skinned black lentil (urad dal)
1 inch roughly chopped ginger
1-2 roughly chopped green chillies

Other Ingredients
2½ cups whole wheat flour
1-2 tablespoons fine semolina (optional)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon roughly pounded fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
¼ cup water (approx)
Oil for frying

Directions

Step-1

Wash and soak urad dal in 1 cup of water for 3-4 hours.
Once soaked, drain the water completely and grind it to a coarse paste with ginger and green chillies. (You can add 1-2 teaspoons of water to help in grinding).

Step-2

To make the dough, mix together the prepared urad dal paste with flour, semolina, salt, roughly crushed fennel seeds, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, coriander powder and water. Knead to form a tight dough. Cover and keep it aside for 1 hour.

Step-3

Divide the dough into 12-14 equal sized balls and roll the poori to a 4–5-inch circle. I always feel that if you dip the ball in some oil and roll, it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin or the worktop and it is easy to roll.

Step-4

Heat the oil for frying. To test the temperature for frying, drop a small piece of dough in the oil and if it rises to the top quickly then the oil is ready.
Slide the poori gently into the oil and wait for a couple of seconds. Then, press on it with the back of the slotted spoon. The poori will puff up. Turn the poori on the other side until it turns to golden in colour. Remove the poori onto some absorbent kitchen towel.
Enjoy them hot or warm.

Tips & Variations

Check that the oil is ready for frying. If the oil is too hot, the poori will burn on the outside and the dough will remain under-cooked from inside. If the oil is not hot enough, the dough will not rise and the poori will absorb lot of oil.
It is a good idea to roll 5 to 6 poori’s and then fry the batch in one go. The poori’s fries very quickly so it is easier to roll and fry in batches. Do not use dry flour while rolling the dough as it will make the oil cloudy. Dipping in oil or slightly greasing the balls will make rolling easier.
I prefer to make the dough quite firm as it tends to soften up while resting. Rolling pooris with soft dough is quite tricky and the pooris as slo tend to be softer. Bedmi Pooris should be crispy hence I always knead a firmer dough.
Sometimes, Bedmi Poori is double fried for extra crispy texture. If you want to try it then, fry the poories until half cooked (10 seconds on each side or until they puff up) and then leave them aside for 5-10 to slightly cool down. Fry again in hot oil until the poories have browned.