Puri or Poori is the quintessential deep-fried, puffed bread in the Indian subcontinent made with whole wheat flour dough. Of the many variations like Lucchi, Bhatura, bedmi, etc., Vade is the Maharashtrian special. These unique pooris are traditionally made of rice flour (also called Tandalache Vade), and sometimes with a mix of various lentil and cereal flours. The classic combination is to pair the Rice Puri with a robust curry, especially that of legumes/sprouts/lentils or with an usal. The recipe of this spiced Rice Vade is not that difficult and can be made in place of your regular wheat puris too, once a while.

About Rice Puri

Whenever I make Rice Puri or bhakri at home, I usually make the black peas curry or Usal that goes as a perfect accompaniment with these breads.

As rice is called as ‘tandul’ in Marathi, the Rice Poori is also referred to as the Tandalache Vade in Maharashtra. You can also call them as Rice Vada (singular) or Rice Vade (plural).

But don’t confuse Vade with the vada, which can be varieties of batter-coated spiced fritters like Batata Vada, Dal Vada, Sabudana Vada and the likes, or the popular South Indian savory donut Medu Vada.

Rice Vada is also a specialty in the Malvan-Konkan regions of the Indian coastal belt. Gluten free and vegan too.

Make these rice vade and pair them with a sprouts or legumes curry or usal accompanied with onions, lemon slices or a pickle and a serving of the refreshing Solkadhi.

More on Rice Vada

The main ingredient in these Vade is obviously the rice flour, which is mixed with spice powders like coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and salt. This mixture is then kneaded into a smooth and even dough with hot water. Finally, the dough is kept to rest for about half an hour or more.

This is how even my mother makes Rice Puri as well as rice bhakri (rice flatbread). The only modification is that the bhakri dough does not have spices. One of the incentives to opt for gluten free flours like rice or millet flour is that the kneading time reduces. Thus, a rice flour dough is made faster than a whole wheat flour dough.

There can be some variations in the preparation of the Rice Vada. Mine is a quick and easy recipe. It does not have urad dal (black gram) flour and gram flour as well. Hence, not the typical Malvani Vade.

The crisp outer texture and the soft inner texture makes the Rice Vada a perfect bread for any coconut-based curry or vegetable dish. Vegetarian options also include pairing these with vatanyache sambar/usal or vatanyachi amti.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Rice Puri

Prepare dough

1. Mix the spice powders – 1 pinch fenugreek powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon fennel powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder and salt with 1.5 cups of rice flour in a bowl.

2. Heat 1.5 cups water till its begins to boil. Add the hot water to the rice flour mixture and with a spoon, stir well. 

Cover the bowl with a lid and keep it for 20 to 25 minutes or till the mixture become warm.

3. Add 1 teaspoon oil or ghee to the rice flour mixture. Begin to mix everything with your hands.

4. The mixture will be a bit hot or warm while kneading. Knead till smooth and even keeping in mind that the heat can be handled by you.

Apply a little oil on your palms while kneading. Cover and let the dough rest for 25 to 30 minutes or more, till it cools completely.

Make Rice Puri

5. Make small or medium balls from the dough. Keep the balls covered with a lid. Keep oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. 

Then, apply some oil in your hands or on the ball. Place the ball on a zip lock bag or plastic sheet.

6. With your fingers or palms, flatten the ball to a round size till you get the shape of a poori. The poori should not be thick nor thin.

7. Apply more oil if required while flattening the dough. You can also keep the dough between two sheets of plastic or zip lock bags and then roll gently with a rolling pin.

Fry Rice Vada

8. Gently remove the puri from the plastic sheet and slide into the hot oil.

9. Add only 1 or 2 puris, depending on the size of your kadai. Wait for the puri to begin puffing up. Then, gently press and nudge the puri in circular motion, so that it puffs completely.

10. With a slotted spoon, turn over the puri and fry the other side. On this side also, you can press and nudge the puri, if it did not puff completely the first time.

11. Flip the puri once or twice more, till you see a pale golden color.

12. Remove and drain the puris on paper towels to remove excess oil.

13. Serve Rice Puri or Rice Vada hot with any beans or legumes curry like usal or amti.