For Shortcut Puri, All You Need Is Store-Bought Tortillas (& A Lot Of Oil)

Cultures around the world have incorporated a variety of flatbreads into daily cuisine. From pitas to parathas, at-home cooks are kneading, rolling, and flattening dough to cook over heat. Depending on where you live, however, certain types of flatbreads may not be easy to come by. And when cravings strike, well, we appreciate the sense of urgency that hits.

Take puri, for example: Crispy, fluffy bread that is fried to crunchy perfection and served alongside aromatic curries and hearty dinners. Using only flour, salt, and water, the unleavened dough can be enjoyed any time of the day. Granted, making the dough and rolling out perfect circles can take time and practice to master, and it isn't always realistic to whip up recipes from scratch when preparing midweek snacks.

Thankfully, we have a hack for those moments that call for immediate batches of puri, using only two ingredients you can find easily at your favorite local market: tortillas and oil.

Fill up a stovetop skillet with ample oil. Use vegetable or canola oil, and fill the pot with one to two inches so that tortillas can be fully submerged. Both cooked and uncooked tortillas can be fried, but look for tortillas that match the size of your pan. For a more realistic puri appearance, reach for the kind of tortillas used for street tacos, as the size is similar to the handmade puris you'd be served in more traditional settings.

As you slide each tortilla into the hot oil — you'll know the oil is ready when a light rolling forms and a sizzling sound occurs — use tongs to carefully maneuver each piece. To cook tortillas to puri-like perfection, you'll need to lightly press each tortilla into the bubbling oil as it begins to cook, then flip accordingly. Each tortilla needs around a minute to reach puri status. Once both sides of the tortilla have turned golden, carefully remove the fried bread from the hot pan and set aside to serve. 

This simple hack doesn't require too much effort, and within minutes, you can have a stack of warm puri to munch on.