Aloo Poori

 Aloo Poori  - Ghar jaisa Swaad jab aaye Ghar ki yaad!

Aloo poori is a typical Sunday brunch in most Indian homes. The best option when there are a lot of guests to be served or simply when we get bored of usual chai nashta, paranthe, toasts and dosas. I still remember how excited I used to get whenever there was poori in my tiffin box during school days. Aloo poori – one dish that says ‘home’ like nothing else. An easy and quick recipe to make and you can dish out pooris in minutes for even 50 guests. Usually served with raita, sirke wale pyaaz( onions soaked in vinegar), grated radish and of course, pickle. But still, aloo poori just like that tastes so yummy and I often make a few extra pooris to have with the evening tea as well! Let’s start with the recipe now; I hope you find it easy and maybe a little different from how you or your mom makes it.
 

Do try it and lemme know how it was.

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients

Potatoes – 4 Medium Sized

Ginger – ½ inch piece finely chopped

Green Chillies – 2

Tomatoes – 2 medium sized

Kasuri Methi  (dried fenugreek leaves) – 1 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder(Haldi) – 2 tsp

Garam Masala – 2 tsp

Jeera (Cumin Seeds) – 3 tsp

Dhaniya Powder (Dried powdered Coriander seeds) – 3 tsp

Hing (Asafetida) – 1 tsp

3 cups water

Salt to Taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

For Pooris

Wheat Flour – 3 cups

Water ½ cup

Salt – a Pinch

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Oil – To fry

Method:

• Wash the potatoes and boil in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles on high heat. Turn off the gas but keep the lid on.
• Chop the 2 tomatoes in a blender/mixer so that they are very finely chopped but not into a complete puree.
• Take a nonstick pan/small wok (kadhai) and put 1 tbsp oil in it.
• Once it gets hot, add hing and jeera.
• When the jeera crackles, add chopped green chillies and chopped ginger. Reduce the flame.
• Stir it for min and add the tomatoes.
• Once the water of tomatoes dries a bit, add the spices and kasuri methi.
• Mix well, and let it cook for 2 mins.
• Meanwhile, peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into small pieces. No symmetry needed, just don’t leave them as big chunks.
• Add the potatoes in the pan, and mix well.
• Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste.
• Mix well, reduce the flame to the lowest, cover with the lid and let it simmer for 10 mins.

Pooris:

• In a big bowl take the flour and add water and a pinch of salt and ghee. (Ghee makes soft Pooris)
• Knead tight firm dough, not very soft.
• You can also add Ajwain (caraway seeds) to the flour for making dough if you like.
• Let the dough sit for 5 mins before making pooris.
• Till then, put oil for frying in pan and let it heat for few mins on high flame so it’s ready.
• Turn off the gas on which the aloo curry is cooking.
• Make small balls ( smaller than a chapatti, or whatever size of poori you enjoy) and flatten out into small pooris. Take care not to use dry flour. Use oil instead to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin or the chakla. You can also use a poori maker.
• You can make 5-6 pooris and keep them in a plate and fry one by one. Don’t put too many in at the same time.
• Put the poori in the oil gently from the side and turn its side once it balloons up nicely. Don’t cook on other side for long.
• Reduce the flame in between to prevent oil from overheating and burning the pooris.
• Serve hot pooris with yummy aloo curry, some pickle and raita.

Suji ka Halwa

Suji ka Halwa also tastes great with poori. You can get the recipe here.

Masala Tea

For evening snack, you can have poori with Masala Tea!  Click to get that recipe. 

Recipes coming soon – White Chole and Kaale Chane!