Which type of Indian bread is deep-fried and puffed?

The Indian bread that is deep-fried and puffed is poori, also spelled puri. It is made from unleavened wheat dough, usually using atta, or whole-wheat flour, mixed with water and sometimes salt and oil. Small rounds of dough are rolled thin and dropped into hot oil, where steam rapidly expands inside them and makes them balloon.

Poori is associated especially with North Indian cuisine but is eaten throughout India and across South Asia. It is commonly served hot for breakfast or as a festive meal, paired with potato curry, chickpea curry, pickle, halwa, shrikhand, or aamras. It is also used in dishes such as pani puri and sev puri.

Roti is cooked on a griddle or flame rather than deep-fried. Paratha is usually layered and pan-fried, while naan is a leavened flatbread baked in a tandoor or oven. Bhatura is another puffed fried bread, but it is generally larger and made with a leavened dough containing ingredients such as yogurt or yeast.