Forget the Prata, Make the Flip to Poori

Prata or paratha is a Singaporean favourite for breakfast but if your Indian food repertoire only includes this dish, boy are you missing out!

Besides loving all kinds of Indian food like briyani, naan, all kinds of masala, roti john, murtabak, apom, idly, putu mayam and much more, I was recently introduced to poori.

How I Got to Try Poori

It was actually by accident. I would usually buy breakfast for my mom and daughter on Sunday mornings and was in the queue for some freshly made prata. However because I was in a hurry and there were plenty of people waiting in line, I just noticed some pieces of indian bread similar to naan and prata in the display and so I ordered it to go.

It turned out to be delicious and a hit with my family. In fact, I have ordered it instead of prata ever since. Fun fact about Poori: It tastes as fantastic as fresh even after a few hours in a packet, pop it in a microwave to heat it up if you like it warm.

What is Poori?

As far as I can tell, it is some kind of deep fried dough.

Poori (also spelled puri) is an unleavened deep-fried bread, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is eaten for breakfast or as a snack or light meal. It is usually served with a savory curry or bhaji, as in Puri bhaji, but may also be eaten with sweet dishes.

In most of the stalls I have ordered this so far, it comes either with a potato masala or gravy.

Where to try Poori?

Well, nearly everywhere! It is probably as common as prata so just as for it and it is likely on their menu. Many Indian restaurants are also open 24 hours and easily accessible. I suggest trying out and looking for your favourite but here are some that I have tried. The first poori I tried was from here:

Restaurant Abbas

Address: 4 Dunlop Street, Singapore 209334

Open 24 hours but they might run out of poori late at night. After having so many other poori, this is still one of the best! It is chewy, with a light oily texture, much like a cross between a naan and a prata, and the potato masala is super delicious.

Maju 65

Address: 26 Perak Road, Singapore 208143

If you can’t get poori from Abbas, then just walk further down the street and you will find Maju 65. The kind of poori you will get here is also similar to Abbas.

Al-Bismi Restaurant

41 Dickson Road

Poori is a very filling dish but I went ahead and bought more anyway from the same area just to try! The poori here is slightly harder (probably over-fried) and the masala and gravy is more watery and runny. There are also more vegetables like corn added.

Al-Azhar

Address: 11 Cheong Chin Nam Road, Singapore 599736

As you can see, the poori is much smaller and thinner so it has less of a chew. There is also less potato masala or other side dishes with this. I don’t really prefer this version here but they do make a mean chick pea masala. I still prefer going to Al-Azhar for their amazing naan.

Srisun Express

Address: 132 Bukit Batok West Ave 6, Singapore 650132

Just down across the street from my former house, is Srisun. Having lived there for 8 years, I haven’t even thought of ordering the poori until recently.

This is one Poori best eaten fresh! When it came out, it was crispy and fragrant. Absolutely must try.

I really think everyone who loves prata should try Poori. I think you will love it as much as we do!

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