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There is no single cuisine in the culinary world without an assortment of decadent bread and Indian cuisine is no different. From the soft Chapatis to the fluffy pooris, Indian cuisine is full of varieties of bread. Keeping the other types for another time, let's delve deep into the world of one of India’s favourite bread-poori. For the people living under the rock, pooris are deep-fried bread that have existed in India since times immemorial. Whether you confess it or not, pooris have struck at least one of your heartstrings in a lifetime. The deep-fried goodies are widely savoured with a variety of side dishes or even alone in almost all parts of India. Long story short, this flatbread is a pan-India dish with some regional varieties.
We know you have been very busy indulging in Pooris but have you ever put on your thinking caps to ponder over the origin of pooris? Well, if not, let us tell you that pooris have been existing since the Vedic age. The traditional Vedic kitchen had some strict rules and one of them was segregating food into ‘Pucca Khaana’ and ‘Kaccha Khaana’. Anything raw or partially cooked was counted as ‘Kaccha Khaana’ and anything which was cooked with ghee was considered as ‘Pucca Khaana’. On that note, when it comes to flatbread, dishes like Roti are considered ‘Kaccha Khaana’ and that like ‘poori’ are considered ‘Pucca Khaana’.
Do you think this is the end of the ride of poori into the frying Kadhai? Well, have you ever thought about the practice of having pooris for breakfast on festive days? As most of us know, Ghee is considered a valuable ingredient during the Vedic times as it acts as a medium through which sacrificial offerings reached the Gods. And as Ghee was the only fat used to cook food during the Vedic days, anything cooked with ghee (Pucca Khaana) was considered ritualistic and pure. Thus, pooris were a quintessential morning meal on auspicious days and continue to be.
I can never imagine a festive breakfast without pooris in it and I think you can’t too. So, the next time you relish hot and fluffy Pooris, you know who to thank.
