The breakfast staple of several parts of the Indian sub-continent, poori bhaji seems to be the most filling and ideal choice. If Sunday lunch comfort food is biryani, a desi weekend brunch has to be poori bhaji across India. For the unversed, poori is a deep-fried Indian bread that is generally made from wheat flour dough. Rolled out into round roti-like shape, the pooris are fried in hot vegetable oil or sometimes, even desi ghee. This is the simplest version of a poori, however, we’ve got plenty of spicy and stuffed pooris too which are served with bhaji.
This brings us to the next most important element of the meal, bhaji. Bhaji is a main dish that is served along with poori and it generally comprises of potatoes. Now, the aloo ki subzi can be served alone or along with some more vegetables like peas, carrots etc. added to it. In fact, the consistency of the bhaji as well as its flavour also differs, in addition to the ingredients. At my Punjabi household, my mother pairs pooris with a gravy aloo ki subzi. The crispiness of the poori is quite an important measure of the perfectness of the dish. If it loses out the air once you pop it in the centre and makes a slight sound, it is definitely a good poori.
Interestingly, on my recent trip to Amritsar, I ordered poori bhaji for breakfast one day and to my surprise, the aloo ki subzi had both potatoes and chickpeas (chana). That’s when I realized that the menu read poori chana bhaji. No wonder I loved this delicious take on poori bhaji.
Without further ado, it’s time that we let you gorge on a hot plate of poori with these lip-smacking bhajis from different corners of the country.
1. Rajasthani Poori Bhaji
Rajasthan, as we know, is quite famous for dishes like Dal baat churma and gatte ki subzi. Non-vegetarian delicacies like laal maas also feature on the food map of the state. However, one vegetarian dish that is quite a rage in the state is the poori bhaji. What’s so special, you ask? Here, the bhaji is made from big chunks of potatoes that are served in a yoghurt gravy called dahi wale aloo. This rich and creamy delicacy from Rajasthan tastes as good with poori as with rice or roti. The use of fennel and nigella seeds along with other spices in the gravy makes for a hearty bhaji.
2. Mathura’s Poori Bhaji
The name of the bhaji might bring a huge smile on your face but the taste is definitely going to leave you in tears. Known as Dubke or dubki wale aloo, the Mathura-special poori bhaji consists of a crispy and crunchy khasta poori stuffed with carom seeds and methi leaves along with a spicy potato curry. Generally made sans garlic, the potatoes are cooked along with peas and tomato in a fiery hot gravy. Popular across all of Uttar Pradesh, the best dubki wale aloo can be eaten on the streets of Mathura.
3. Maharashtrian Poori Bhaji
Move beyond vada pavs and puran polis, the poori bhaji combination is a lovable dish across the third-largest state of India. Taking a slight detour from the tangy gravies, the specialty of this Maharashtrian version is that it serves the poori with a dry potato subzi called Marathi Batatyachi Sukki Bhaji. Batata refers to potatoes and sukki refers to dry in Marathi. The potatoes come with a touch of spiciness and a tinge of lemon. Did you know that there is another loved combination in the region called Shrikhand poori bhaji which is a sweet touch to the savoury dish?
4. Bengali Poori Bhaji
The Bengalis love their luchis as much as the North Indians love their pooris. Luchis, for the unversed, are crunchy and soft, deep-fried rounds of flour that are a Bengali version of poori. Luchi aloor dum seems to be the most ideal pick when looking for a traditional Bengali poori bhaji. Onions, tomatoes and ginger-garlic go into the making of the thick-gravy aloor dum which is paired with soft luchis for a lazy Sunday breakfast.
5. Karnataka’s Poori Bhaji
If you ever get a chance to take a trip down South of the Indian sub-continent, you shouldn’t miss out on this luscious poori bhaji variation hailing from a small town called Udupi in Karnataka. The classic Poori sagu differs from the other bhajis because it is made with South Indian spices and lentils, with a hint of curry leaves. Vegetables like beans, peas and carrots are mashed along with potatoes for this bhaji.
