Pooris are a delicious deep-fried Indian bread and the addition of a sweetened coconut mixture makes them even harder to resist. Pooris (or puris) are enjoyed throughout India and are eaten particularly on festive occasions and holidays. This particular recipe is a favorite among both kids and adults alike. My tasty Sweet Coconut Pooris can be eaten for breakfast or as a light snack or meal and are especially great for picnics since they travel well.


SWEET COCONUT POORI (Narlyache Poori)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
pinch of salt to taste
water, as needed
a few tbsp of all-purpose flour, as needed
½ tsp coconut oil
oil for deep frying

For the Coconut Filing
¼ cup fresh coconut, finely grated
½ cup fine rava (sooji or semolina)
2 tbsp jaggery (or brown sugar), to taste
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
pinch of ground allspice
pinch of ground cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee or butter


METHOD:

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and the salt. Mix together and slowly add the water while kneading until a soft dough is formed. If the dough is sticky, just add a little all-purpose flour. Now roll the dough into a round ball and spread the top lightly with a little coconut oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel & set aside until needed (or at least 30 minutes).

In a medium saucepan on medium high heat, combine 1 cup of water with the rava, jaggery & spices (freshly ground nutmeg, ground allspice & ground cardamom powder). Then add in the finely grated coconut & cook on low until the mixture comes together nicely. Let the coconut mixture cool just slightly & then form round walnut size balls using lightly greased palms. Set aside until needed.

Using a clean work surface sprinkled with some all-purpose flour, gently knead the poori dough and divide it equally into round balls (roughly ping pong ball size). At this point, you can use a poori machine (similar to a tortilla press) or a rolling pin to make the pooris. Roll them out evenly into round circles (4-5 inches in diameter). Next, add one cooled coconut jaggery balls to the center of your poori. Then carefully gather up the sides sealing them together and forming a ball. Gently pat into a flattened disc using your palms and gently roll out into a circle about 4-5” in diameter. If it tears, don’t worry - just pinch it together and patch it up.

*Alternatively, you could roll out 2 separate pooris. Then evenly spread a little of the cooled filling on top of one poori, place the other directly on top. Now pinch the edges together to form a tight seal and roll out the edges so they are smooth & seamless.

Heat a deep skillet with enough oil to deep fry. When hot, carefully add the pooris (2-3 at a time) and fry until golden brown. You may need to fry them in batches. Drain well and serve immediately with your favorite sweet chutney and yogurt.


VARIATIONS:

Instead of using freshly grated nutmeg, you could add a pinch of saffron. I have even made coconut pooris using chai masala (¼ tsp) and they were such a huge hit!

My sweet coconut pooris can also be served along with shrikhand (sweetened yogurt).



NEWSLETTER: I invite you to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter. This gives you all of the updates for the Indian Food site. Sometimes, this newsletter has additional information on recipes that are not in the articles. Fill in the blank just below the article with your email address - which is never passed on beyond this site. We will never sell or trade your personal information.