DEBOLINA ROY
Wrong dough consistency
By adding too much water, you end up with a soft roti dough. Soft dough tends to absorb oil and prevents puffing. Therefore, you should get a firm and strong dough with very little water added.
Uneven thickness
You shouldn't roll the dough too thin, or it will break in the process. Rolling it too thick would lead to the pooris not getting cooked properly inside. The thickness of the dough should be an even degree of one millimetre.
Low oil temperature
It is important to fry the dough in the right temperature oil to make the pooris puffed up. Using lukewarm oil will result in soggy, oily, and flat pooris. Fresh oil with a high smoke point should always be used and heated until really hot.
Skipping the gentle skimmer press
Merely putting the dough in hot oil is not enough for it to expand. As soon as it starts crackling, gently press it down with a skimmer. Soon after expansion occurs, flipping the dough will trap steam inside, resulting in the hollow centre.