Poori Bhaji

Is there anyone who doesn’t like poori bhaji? I really don’t think so 🙂 Agreed that it’s not very healthy and is a bit oily and deep fried, but it’s perfectly fine to indulge once in a while, isn’t it? I had never thought that I shall add poori bhaji in my blog, but when I posted these pictures as a part of my weekend food, I got many requests from friends and followers on how to get perfect puffy pooris and how have I made this bhaji- it looks like the ones served in restaurants 🙂 So I tbought of adding this too in my blog. So here is how I make these at home. I have used a 240 ml cup.

Ingredients:

For the pooris:

• Whole wheat flour 2 cups
• Semolina 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 2 tsp
• Oil 1-2 tbsp
• Water for kneading
• Oil for frying

For the bhaji:

• Potatoes 5-6
• Onion 2 medium
• Green chillies 3-4
• Ginger 1 inch piece
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
• Split udad dal 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Curry leaves 2 sprigs
• Coriander leaves 2 sprigs
• Oil 1 tbsp

Method:

How to make the pooris:

• Mix the whole wheat flour, semolina, salt and sugar in a big mixing bowl.
• Add oil and rub it into the flour well.
• Sprinkle water little by little and knead into a smooth but tight dough. 
• Cover the dough with a muslin cloth and allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes. 
• Spread some oil on a clean counter or a rolling board and oil the rolling pin too. 
• Make small balls from the  dough and roll out pooris of desired size. Do not roll it very thin like phulkas.
• Heat oil in a heavy kadhai till it is sufficiently hot.
• Drop a poori into the hot oil slowly and gently press it down with a slotted ladle.
• Flip and cook the other side too till it is golden.
• Remove from oil and drain on an absorbent paper.
• Repeat with the remaining pooris.

How to make the bhaji:

• Wash the potatoes and boil it in a pressure cooker till it is cooked well.
• Peel them and chop it roughly.
• Slice the onions and green chillies. Chop the ginger into small pieces.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
• When they splutter, add the split udad dal and curry leaves.
• Now add the onions and green chillies and saute for a minute.
• Now add turmeric powder, salt and the potato pieces and mix well.
• Add a cup of water and simmer the mixture for 4-5 minutes. Mash the potatoes gently.
• Once you get the desired consistency, remove from fire.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with pooris.

Notes:

• Fry pooris in hot oil. Flip the side only after that side is fully golden.
• The dough should be tighter than chapati dough.
• It’s better to roll using oil rather than dusting it with flour. This will ensure that the residual oil is clean and free from flour deposits.
• Roll the pooris uniformly to ensure uniform cooking.
• Drain in an absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
• Using semolina makes the poori puffy and allows it to remain so for some time.