Singhare ki Puri (For Ekadasi Vrat)

Singhare ki Puri is a delicious Indian fry bread made with water chestnut flour, mashed potatoes, edible rock salt and a few spices. These singhare ke atte ki puri are made during Hindu religious fasting days like Shivratri fast or Ekadashi fast or Navratri fasting. During fasting days in North India, only certain flours are used. E.g. Singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour), kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour), rajgira ka atta (amaranth flour), sama ke chawal ka atta (barnyard millet flour) and arrowroot flour.

About Singhare ki Puri

I wonder why these healthy flours and millets are used during fasting days only. They can even be made during regular days. These flours make for an excellent gluten free option as well.

You will definitely get to taste a slight flavor of singhara or water chestnut in these pooris but that does not matter much, as these pooris taste as good as regular pooris made from whole wheat flour.

Singhare ki pooris can be made plain just with the water chestnut flour or in combination with mashed potatoes.

This recipe uses boiled mashed potatoes. Since mashed potatoes are used, the pooris have to be fried in hot oil. On a lower temperature, the potatoes absorb a lot of oil and the pooris become clogged with oil.

Singhare ka atta is easily available in most superstores in India as well as online. I have seen it in reliance stores in India too. Apart from this recipe, for your vrat or fasting you can also consider making:

• Kuttu ka Paratha
• Sabudana Thalipeeth
• Rajgira Paratha
• Kuttu ki Puri
• Rajgira Puri

You can serve these singhare ki puri with Aloo Sabji or Vrat ki kadhi or Arbi Masala or khatta meetha kaddu or jeera aloo or Pumpkin Sabji. I served them with Vrat ke Aloo.

How to make Singhare ki Puri

Boil Potatoes

1. Rinse 2 medium-sized potatoes thoroughly in fresh water. Then add them to a 2-liter stovetop pressure cooker.

Add enough water covering the potatoes. Also add a few pinches of edible rock salt (sendha namak).

Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles until the potatoes have softened and are fork tender. Once the pressure drops naturally in the cooker then only open the lid.

With tongs remove the cooked potatoes and transfer them to a plate. Drain all the water very well from the potatoes.

2. When warm, peel and mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher in a bowl.

Make Dough

3. In the same bowl, add 2.5 to 3 cups of singhare ka atta (water chestnut flour).

4. Next add 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder) and edible rock salt (sendha namak) as required.

5. Also add 1 to 2 chopped green chilies including 2 teaspoons of oil. Make sure that the green chilies are minced or crushed finely or chopped finely.

6. Mix all the ingredients first with a spoon.

7. Add very little water about 1 to 2 tablespoons and start mixing.

8. Begin to knead the dough. Don’t add water unless required. Knead the dough and if it looks dry or lumpy in some parts, then sprinkle little water and knead again.

9. Keep kneading till the dough becomes soft and smooth.

10. The dough should not be sticky. Otherwise you won’t be able to roll the poori. If the dough looks sticky then sprinkle some water chestnut flour and knead again.

Assemble & Roll

11. Make small or medium-sized balls from the dough. I got 9 medium sized balls from the dough.

12. Sprinkle some water chestnut flour on the rolling board and place the dough ball. Also sprinkle some flour on the dough ball.

13. Roll the balls into small or medium sized disc evenly.

14. Don’t make thin or thick pooris. The thin ones will break when frying and the thick ones will get browned quickly from out leaving the insides uncooked.

Deep Fry Singhare ki Poori

15. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying the poori. When the oil is medium hot, place the poori gently in the oil. The poori will gradually puff up in the oil. Gently nudge and lightly press the puri with a slotted spoon to help it puff more.

Keep in mind that these poori don’t puff up like the whole wheat poori as mashed potatoes are added to the dough.

16. When one side puffs up then turn over gently with the slotted spoon. You can aid the poori to puff up by gently nudging it with the slotted spoon.

17. Fry the other side until golden and crisp. When the singhare kipooris are golden, remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Similarly fry the rest of pooris.

18. Serve the singhare ki poori hot or warm with Vrat ke aloo or dahi arbi or dahi aloo.

If you are looking for more Ekadasi Recipes then do check:

• Sabudana Khichdi
• Sabudana Vada
• Rajgira Kheer
• Makhana ki Kheer

Singhare ki Puri recipe from the blog archives was first published on August 2013.