Holi Papri: 10-Min Recipe

The tiny, flat maida (all-purpose flour) puris, flavoured with distinctive carom seeds, are popular fill-me-ups at Holi.
Eat them just like that. Or stack them with a variety of toppings, either chaat-style or even olives, cheese etc.
Pankaj Bhadouria's recipe for these savoury discs is quick & effortless, but allot extra time for resting the dough.

Ingredients

• 500 gm maida or all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp ajwain or carom seeds
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
• Water
• Oil for deep frying the papri

Method

• Rub the ghee into the flour.
  Add the carom seeds, salt, and little water to prepare a very stiff dough.

Method, continue

• Cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave aside for 30 minutes.
  Do not knead too much.

Method, continued

• Divide into tiny balls of 1 cm diameter.
  Flatten and roll out on a floured surface into 1-inch diameter roundels or mini puris.
  Make tiny cuts in between or poke with a fork to avoid puffing while frying.

Method, continued

• Heat the oil in a frying pan or a kadhai and deep fry the discs over medium-low heat until done.
  Drain onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
• Store in an air-tight container.

Tips
Serve plain, for munching.
Or top with sev, boiled alu slices, imli chutney, coriander-mint chutney, chopped onions, cilantro.
Deviate from standard chaat and use sweet potatoes or boiled bananas instead of potato, along with mint, chickpeas, grated mulee and cucumber.
Else top with olives, cheese, chopped tomatoes.
Try avocados, tomato, mint and cilantro.
Else boiled corn, wasabi, capsicum, tiny cubes paneer, chopped tomatoes, Tabasco.