Everyday Special: Flavourful and Delicious Puri Bhaji
Image Credit: Puri is one of the most popular Indian breads | Unsplash

Whether it’s a day-to-day meal or a small get-together or a grand family function, Puri Bhaji is one dish which is always served. It’s tasty as well as loved by kids as well as adults. It is a perfect morning meal as well which has beautiful colours. It is usually served with kheer, achaar and onion.

Here’s the recipe!

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For Bhaji

•4 medium-sized Potatoes (aloo or batata)

•1 large chopped Onion

•1 chopped Green Chili

•1 tsp Mustard

•1 tsp Cumin

•1.5 tsp Black Gram (urad dal)

•¾ cup of Water

•½ tsp Turmeric Powder

•1 pinch Asafoetida (hing)

• ½ to ¾ cup chopped Coriander Leaves or Cilantro Leaves

•12-15 Curry Leaves

•2 or 3 tsp Peanut Oil or Sunflower Oil

•Salt as required

For Puri

•3 cups Whole Wheat Flour – 360 grams

•1 tsp Oil or Melted Ghee (optional)

•1 tsp Salt or add as required

•¾ to 1 cup Water or add as required

•Oil for deep frying

Puri Bhaji | Instagram - @mago_anil

For Bhaji:

•Put potatoes in a cooker and boil them till they are cooked completely

•Once boiled, peel their outer skin and chop them

•Take a pan and heat oil. Now, put cumin, mustard and urad dal

•Fry till the mustard crackles as well as begins making sound and the urad dal changes its colour to brown

•Next, put the chopped onion in the pan and fry them till they get soft & transparent

•Put the ginger and green chillies and fry them for a minute

•Now, put the curry leaves. Stir and fry it as well for a while

•Put the turmeric followed by asafoetida. Stir and fry them as well for some seconds

•Next, add the chopped potatoes as well and stir them. Once done, add  3/4 water and salt as per your taste and stir for a while. Now, cover the pan

•Leave the bhaji to simmer for approximately  5-6 minutes on a low flame.

•Switch off the flame once there is some moisture still left in the bhaji. It should not be dry

•Next, add the remaining coriander leaves to bring a bit more flavours

•Finally, the Bhaji is prepared to serve        

For Puri:

•In a mixing bowl, put the whole wheat flour, salt and oil and mix them

•Put little water as well and knead to get a dough. The dough should not be very soft but stiff and tight. You can also prepare a semi-soft dough

•Next, divide the dough into small-sized pieces. Spread some oil on both sides of the dough ball. 

•Roll the dough evenly to form circles of approximately ¼ inch. It should neither be too thin nor thick

•Put the rolled puri on a plate and cover it with a clean cloth, so that they don’t dry up

•Next, put oil in a deep frying pan and heat it.

•Once the oil is sufficiently hot then put one puri at a time in the pan and fry gently pressing down with the slotted spoon in a circular motion

•Turn over when puffed up from one side and fry until the colour changes to golden brown

•Finally, Puri is also ready

Serve hot Puri Bhaji to your family and friends