Saturday, August 18, 2007

Poori-bhaji

Phew, made it to Anita's poori party in the nick of time! All week I've been waiting for a chance to make poori-bhaji and take photos, but something or the other ended up taking precedence every single evening - the purchase of a new Range Rover being the most momentous event.

Momentous, and instantaneous. Pete's very quick off the mark when he's determined about something - so he researched Range Rovers on the Net for a day, shortlisted a few, we drove down to Coventry the next day, test-drove it, checked it and the day after that drove back down there to collect it. The new Range Rover is a beauty of a car, with enough toys in it to satisfy even the most demented petrolhead. But even this supercar doesnt lend itself to the making of poori-bhaji on the road!

So the first chance I got to actually set foot in the kitchen was today - and here's my addition to the party, Anita! I'm the tardy guest who comes in last... but I made it. And I plan to be the last to leave. Ab party poori ho gayi! ;)

Recipe for:
Aloo bhaji




2 large potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 spring onion, sliced



1/2 tomato, chopped
3-4 green chillies, chopped (or to taste)
1 tsp gram flour/besan
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
3-4 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
pinch asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
1 cup water
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Smash the boiled potatoes by hand, to get that rustic look. The pieces dont have to be evenly sized.



2. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds, green chillies, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, chana and urad dals and curry leaves. Cover and let the mustard seeds splutter and the dals turn golden.

3. Add the onions and tomatoes and the garam masala.



Fry till the onions turn transparent and the tomatoes are mushy.



Then add the smashed potatoes and salt. Mix well.



4. Dissolve the gram flour/besan in 3-4 tbsp water, then add that along with one cup water to the potatoes.



Stir well and let the mixture come to a gentle simmer. (Add a little more water if you like your bhaji runny - the gram flour tends to act as a thickener.)



5. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with pooris.

15 comments:

TBC said...

Poori-bhaji looks good!It is so nice to see different P-B recipes, thanks to Anita:-)

bee said...

congrats on the new car.

Pavani said...

Yummy Aloo curry. Never added green onions before.. Will try your version next time.

Unknown said...

Just Yummy!!

Anonymous said...

Another great looking aloo bhaji! Congrats on the new car - too bad it doesn't come equipped with a little pantry!

Yes, ab party poori ho gayi! Thanks for coming!

Anita said...

PS: Shammi, can you leave a link in my comments so I remember to include this in the roundup tomorrow?

I caught this in my regular blog hopping...

(you may delete this comment - didn't see an e-mail address...)

sra said...

Best of luck with your new car!

Srivalli said...

puris look good....

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

Sharmi said...

congrats on the new car. delicious looking baaji.

Anonymous said...

tbc: Yep, thanks to Anita allright! :) Usually I'm too lazy to make puris.

Bee: Thanks! :)

Pavani: I dont normally use green onions either - just thought I'd try it because I had it! :)

Cinnamon: Thanks!

Anita: Yup, a RR with a little kitchen - now THAT would be my kinda car! :D

Sra, Srivalli, Sharmi: Thanks, thanks, and double thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

ooh, I love this recipe! I bet the sliced onions give it a whole different taste. Must try this for sure! Safe and happy trails in the new car, you two -- enjoy! :)

Anonymous said...

hey i just saw your food blog - green onions seems like a good addition :)

Latha Narasimhan said...

Hi shammi,
Thanks for visiting me! You have a nice site. I like your slide show very much.
You should read our comments in nausheen blog to get total entertainment.
Mean while let me check out your lovely recipes.

Rajesh &Shankari said...

Congrats on the new year. I must tell you this. I used your arachu vitta sambhar recipe and cooked for not 4 or 5, but 50 people.All of them loved it. THANK YOU!

Shammi said...

Linda: Yes, a slight difference in taste - especially if you save some of the chopped green bits as garnish!

Lakshmi: Yep, it was a good addition! :)

Latha: I did read the comments. :) Hope you like the recipes you find here, although you'll probably know the majority of them.

Shankari: Yikes, wow, 50 people? I'm at a loss to cook for more than four!! Glad the recipe worked!