Puri (food)

Puri, alsopoori, is a type ofdeep-friedbread, made fromunleavenedwhole-wheat flour, originated from theIndian subcontinent.
Puris are most commonly served as breakfast or snacks. It is also served at special or ceremonial functions as part of ceremonial rituals along with othervegetarianfood offered in Hindu prayer asprasadam.  When hosting guests it is common in some households to serve puri in place ofroti, as a small gesture of formality. Puri is often eaten in place of roti on special holidays.
The namePuriderives from theSanskritword पूरिका (pūrikā), from पूर (pūra) "filled".In otherSouth Asianlanguages it is known as:Urdu: پوری (pūrī),DogriandHindi: पूरी (pūrī) or पूड़ी (pūṛī),Kumaoni: लगड (lagaḍ),Tamil:பூரி(poori),Telugu:పూరి(pūri),Gujarati:પૂરી,Assamese:পুৰি(puri),Bengali:পুরি(pūri),Bhojpuri:पूड़ी(pūṛī),Marathi:पूरी(pūrī),Kannada:ಪೂರಿ(pūri),Malayalam:പൂരി(pūrī),Burmese:ပူရီ(pūrī),Nepali:पूरी(puri),Odia:ପୁରି(puri),Punjabi:ਪੂਰੀ(pūṛī),Garhwali: पूरी (pūrī),
Puris are prepared with wheat flour, eitheratta(whole wheat flour) orsooji(coarse wheat flour). In some recipes,ajwain,cumin seed,spinach, orfenugreek seedsare added to the dough. Thedoughis either rolled out in a small circle or rolled out and cut out in small circles, then deep fried ingheeor vegetable oil.  While deep frying, puris puff up like a round ball because moisture in the dough changes into steam which expands in all directions. They are flipped once in the frying process, and when they are golden-brown in color, they are removed and either served hot or saved for later use (as with the snack foodpani puri). Rolled puris may be pricked with a fork before deep frying to make flat puris forchaatlikebhel puri. A punctured puri does not puff when cooked because the steam escapes as it cooks. Masala puri addsturmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin, and hing (asafoetida) to the dough.
Suhariis a variant of puri which is made with wheat flour, ghee and some sugar and also fried in gheerather than vegetable oils for regular puri.It is often paired with sweet dishSuji Lapsi.Laspi Suhariis a common comboserved as aNaivedhyatoHinduDevatasand paired along with ChanaGhugniorKaumariduringDurga Ashtamifestival.
Another variant of the puri popular in the eastern part ofIndian subcontinentisLuchi(in West Bengal and Odisha) orlusiin Assam,luchuiin Biharand Jharkhand. Luchi is made using refined wheat flour (samidhflour) and is deep fried. It is served with typical side dishes likealoor dum(potato preparation), Chanaghugni, begun bhaja (fried eggplant) and others.
Another variant, largely popular in theBraj culinary traditionof the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh isbedmi puriorbedai.It is prepared using stuffing ofUrad dalpaste and paired with Mathura'sDubki Aloo jhor.
Another variant of puri is "Khameere/Ambliyaan" bread originating fromDogra cuisineofJammu region. It is a deep fried leavened bread  prepared with naturally fermented sour dough calledAmbleya AttainDogrilanguage.
BhathoruorBhaturuis another bread originating from region ofJammuand NorthernHimachalmade using same dough as Dogri breadKhameereorAmbliyaanbut prepared by roasting or baking in clay oven calledbhatthi. The same dish was modified by purabiya vendors of Delhi by preparing it likeLuchibread (replacing whole wheat flour with refined wheat flour and deep frying it) which came to be known asbhatoora, which is served withChana Ghugni/Chole Ghugni(spicy chickpeas). Seechole bhature.
Thotruis yet another variant originating fromDogra culinary traditionwhich is prepared using naturally fermented flour dough and stuffed with vegetable fillings and rolled in toppings of nuts like almonds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds etc.They can be fried or baked.
In the Indian state ofOdishaa large-sized puri is made duringBali Yatrawhich is calledthunka puri(Odia:ଠୁଙ୍କା ପୁରି).
Thepurisused forpanipuriare smaller, and are usually made crisper by the addition ofrava/sooji(semolina) to the dough.
Sev puriis an Indian snack offered by street vendors who servechaat.
Street vendors inMumbaiservebhelin a throw-away folded leaf with a flat puri to scoop it.
Fast food chains in the Middle East use puri for fried chicken wraps.