How much oil does one poori have? (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
For those who love food, one of the staples of a wholesome and indulgent affair is having puri or poori with chole or aloo, and whatnot. But have you ever wondered how much oil one poori consumes? Kiran Kukreja, a nutritionist, took to Instagram to share a reel on the same. Take a look.
“Today I tried to calculate how much oil 1 Poori consumes: I have used 204 g of oil and fried 6 pooris from that oil. And the oil left after cooking pooris was 159 g which means total oil consumed for making 6 pooris is 45 grams, 1 Poori took 7.5 grams,” she elaborated.
How many calories does one poori contain?
67.5 calories from 7.5 grams of oil and uncooked poori of 30 grams gives 90 calories. “1 poori 90 + 67.5 = 157.5 calories!” she expressed.
So, should you consume poori or not?
Here, the source of calories are from saturated fat, so it is not advisable to consume pooris on regular basis. But, just to satisfy your cravings you can have it once in two to three months, she added.
Agreeing that the above calculations mentioned are correct, registered dietitian Garima Goyal said, “On an average, one to one and a half teaspoon of oil is absorbed by one poori. One gram of fat contains 9 kcal energy. So 5-7.5 grams of oil will roughly provide 45-67.5 kcal. Now these are only the calories coming from oil. The calories coming from the wheat flour of poori are roughly 90-100 kcal too. So you get around 150 kcal from one poori only,” said Goyal.
Sumaiya A, clinical dietitian at Fortis Hospital, Kalyan, said one poori amounts to 69 calories with 7.3 gm carbs, and 4.1 gm fat.
Yogita Chavan, dietitian, Godrej Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, said pooris are cooked in a significant amount of oil which adds to their crispiness and flavour. “While the oil consumption in poori preparation may vary, the absorption of the oil depends on the size of the puri and the ingredients used,” said Chavan.
According to Chavan, if more water is added in dough preparation, then more oil is absorbed. A typical poori weighs around 30 grams and can contain approximately 100-120 calories. The deep-frying process absorbs oil,” she added.
The role of temperature in oil absorption
How much oil a poori absorbs depends a lot upon the temperature of the frying oil. “Flame set to medium is quintessential while frying a poori as pooris burst open on a high flame and absorb more oil. Even on low flame, pooris absorb more oil. So heated oil should be on a medium flame for the pooris to absorb less oil. Try maintaining the temperature to medium hot while increasing or decreasing the heat throughout,” said Goyal.
The smoking point of oil reduces
Usually, the oil we use for deep frying pooris is overheated, beyond its ideal smoke point, contended Goyal. “The fumes coming from this oil known as ‘smoke fumes’ have acrolein which is responsible for burning eyes. The formation of carcinogenic compounds occurs in the oil as it keeps on deteriorating when heated. Also if the same oil is again used for frying, its smoke point decreases due to contaminants, and reusing such oil becomes harmful and even carcinogenic ,” said Goyal.
What else to keep in mind?
Cleaning with a paper towel: After you have fried poori, wipe the extra oil on it with a paper towel or tissue.
Use carbonated compound: If you have to reduce the absorption of oil by a poori, add a small amount of carbonated liquid or baking soda to the batter. This will release gas bubbles and reduce fat absorption.
Add fibre to the dough: The addition of fibre, especially soluble fibre, reduces the oil uptake. This is because high water holding capacity and viscosity development have a great effect on the reduction of oil uptake, Goyal mentioned.
Khushboo Sahijwani Matta, dietician, Rejua Energy Centre, Mumbai said the way around having a poori is to accompany it with a big bowl of salad and vegetables. “Counting calories is all in the mind. If your mental and emotional health is balanced, consuming pooris in the right way will not affect you,” said Matta.
A person with no medical condition can have a couple of pooris once in a few months. “However, for people with medical conditions such as heart, liver and cholesterol issues, it is strictly not advisable to have pooris,” said Sumaiya.
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