Farsi Puri Recipe (Gujarati snack for Diwali)

Farsi Puri is a traditional Diwali savoury snack recipe from Gujarati cuisine that is crispy and flaky.

This traditional Gujarati snack is made with 5 ingredients such as plain flour, semolina and basic spices.

It is the perfect and tasty teatime exclusive snack that melts-in-your-mouth with a hot cup of tea.

Crispy Gujarati Farsi Puri (Crispy and Flaky)

Farsi puri recipe – crispy flaky Gujarati snack recipe made with plain flour served during Diwali in almost all Indian homes.

It can be made any time of the year in small batches, served as an evening snack with Indian tea along with tikha gathiya, namak pare, sev, chakli/chakri (rice murukku) and Nan Khatai.

For Gujaratis, the festival of Diwali is incomplete without these crispy puris. In our house every year it appears on top of the Diwali snacks list!

They are a firm favourite of my mum, and my baby brother as much as I and my dad enjoy Kenyan Chevdo.

We make these batch of puris and store them in airtight container during Diwali season, and family members enjoy with hot tea in the evening or in the morning.

This perfect recipe yields farsi puri that are crispy on the outside, flaky and crumbly texture inside and melts in your mouth!

Farsi Puri or Gujarati Farsi Poori is also known as Rava Menda Puri.

The meaning of farsi puri is simple. In Gujarati language, Gujarati word Farsi means flaky and in Hindi paratdar or Khasta. Farsi puri gets the flaky texture due to addition of ghee (moiyan) in the recipe.

Gujarati Farsi puri come very close to Punjabi and Rajasthani Mathri recipe, and enjoyed during the season of Diwali, Holi, Karva Chauth and Teej.

The main ingredients of Faris Puri are plain flour, semolina (some people skip it), ghee and some basic spices such as black pepper and cumin seeds. You do not need gram flour to make this recipe.

A well done farsi puri should be crispy on the outside, flaky and crumbly inside and neither too soft or hard but just right. When you eat it should not crunch but just melts in your mouth.

My mum has been making these over the past 3 decades and I’ve made these farsi puris a number of times now and they turn out beautifully every time. Just the perfect snack!

Ingredients

Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post

Plain flour – This recipe uses plain flour, also known as all purpose flour or Maida in Hindi language. It is important that you read the label on your bag of flour to be sure that it is plain flour and not self-raising flour. Self-flour contains raising agents, and we don’t want fluffy or raised puris.

Semolina – We’ll need semolina flour, known as sooji or suji to bring crispiness in the farsi puris. Semolina can be ‘course’ or ‘fine’ – you’ll need coarse for this recipe.

Ghee – I’m using homemade desi ghee. For melt-in-your-mouth texture and flaky farsi puri ghee is must in this recipe.

Flavours – As well as the texture and the unique flavours are so important for farsi puris that lingers after. Traditional farsi puri recipe requires black peppercorn and cumin seeds or caraway seeds.

Oil – To deep fry puris we need oil that is neutral in flavour. Avoid strong flavoured oil such as olive and mustard.

Seasoning – Salt and black pepper

Variation

You can skip semolina if you wish.

I prefer to make farsi puris using plain flour, however you can use wheat flour as a healthier alternative.

For crispy masala puris add usual spices such as turmeric, red chilli powder and sesame seeds.

Add fresh or dried methi (also known as kasoori methi) for methi puri recipe.

Add some filling for stuffed farsi puri like these Farsi Khama Puri.

Use any other dried herbs with a twist.

Traditional Gujarati farsi puri made without turmeric powder, but if you wish to do so, you can add it.

For vegan version, skip dairy ghee. Instead use vegan ghee, vegan butter or oil for moiyan.

Tips

Measure the ghee after melting for accurate measurements.

To get the perfect flaky and crispy texture, the ratio of the flours and ghee must get right therefore do not skimp on ghee.

Ensure you use melted ghee to make farsi puri.

The dough for the farsi puri should be quite stiff and hard. Whilst kneading the dough use little water at a time.

Don’t roll the puri too thin, it should be kept thick.

Must prick puris after rolled using a fork or knife to prevent puri from fluffing whilst deep frying. Also this step helps to puris cooked inside too.

Fry farsi puris on low heat and maintain the oil temperature throughout the cooking and don’t let them brown.

If puris are fried on a medium-high heat, they will get brown very quickly and will remain uncooked inside.

Gujarati style crispy farsi puri should not be in brown colour.

How to make Farsi Puri step photo

Full printable recipe in recipe card below.

This irresistible Diwali snack recipe comes together with just a few simple steps

Before you start preparing the recipe pound the black peppercorn and whole cumin seeds (no need roasting) using pestle and mortar. Don’t make fine powder, we need coarse.

First, knead the dough. In a big bowl or wide plate take dry ingredients like plain flour and semolina. Then add pounded black pepper, cumin seeds, salt and melted ghee.

Rub the ghee with flour mixture with your fingertips. As you mix the ingredients together, the flour will clump together in your fist.

Add enough water and bring the dough together to knead a very stiff dough or tight dough. (don’t knead too much).

Dough should be harder than regular puri dough. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel for 20-30 minutes.

Then, roll the puris, Divide dough into equal portions (size of lemon/lime). Keep the dough covered at all times to prevent drying out.

Make round balls, then roll it out on clean smooth surface or work top with a rolling pin into small puris 4-5 mm thickness.

Prick the puris with a fork, so they cook evenly from inside too and don’t fluff up whist frying.

And Deep Frying! Heat oil in a kadai on medium heat. Oil should not be VERY HOT. Carefully add a couple of rolled and pricked puris into hot oil.

Fry the puris on low-medium flame until very light brown both sides. Remove them using a slotted spoon, leave it on clean paper towel. As they cool, they’ll go crispier.

Storage

Like any dry Diwali snacks, these Gujarati farsi puri can be made in advance as they have a longer shelf life.

They stay fresh up to 15-20 days or long time at room temperature. Once, totally cooled and crispy, carefully arrange them in the air-tight container.

Do not store in the refrigerator. They are not suitable for freezing.

Serving

Gujarati Farsi puri is a great snack teatime snack that pair so good with masala tea , Karak Chai, Cardamom Tea or coffee.

In my family we enjoy them at breakfast, mid-morning or afternoon, basically any time of the day.

As well as tea and coffee, these puris are eaten with aathela marcha and sambharo.

My grandma in India used to add in making Bhel Puri. Once all the diwali snacks are are close to finishing by mixing poha chevdo, ratlami sev and chaat chutneys for evening snacks.

Make in small sizes and serve as an appetizer with raita, kachumber salad, chutneys and dips. These are perfect for sev puri or sukha puri.

More Diwali Snacks

Gujarati Shakkarpara

Dry Fruit Masala Kachori

Mixed Cereal Chevdo

Semolina (sooji) Gujiya

Choraphari

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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in February 25th, 2012.