Poori Baaji
Let us today look into a dish that is much loved all across the country – the Poori Baaji! This is a duet of deep-fried unleavened puffy Indian bread and a seasoned potato mash. I have grown up enjoying this for breakfast, but in some parts of India, it’s a lunch favourite too. This dish is super simple to make and the flaky puffy poori savoured along with the seasoned mash is a rustic culinary treat.
How to make Poori Baaji
Like I mentioned earlier, this recipe has two components viz. the Poori and Baaji. Please note that, in regions of Maharashtra the word Baaji is the general term used for any vegetarian dish and hence this potato mash is referred to as Aloo baaji there. But, in coastal Karnataka, baaji is synonymous with the seasoned potato mash and is not used for any other dish.
The process of making the Poori Baaji begins with the dough. It is a simple dough consisting of just wheat-flour, salt and water. Knead these ingredients into a soft pliable dough and keep it aside and proceed to making the baaji.
The first step in making the baaji is to boil the potatoes. The easiest way to do is by pressure cooking them. Once cooked, transfer them to cold water, peel them and mash them very well and keep aside and proceed to the next step.
Heat some oil in a Wok on medium heat and splutter the mustard seeds, followed by the urad dal and curry leaves followed by the green chilli and the onion and fry until the onion turns translucent. Add the mashed potatoes and give a good mix. Mix the turmeric powder with the water and add it to the wok and mix well until well combined. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes until the moisture has evaporated. Take it off the flame and proceed to making the pooris.
Heat the oil for deep frying the pooris. As the oil is heating up, proceed to make the pooris. Roll out the pooris into little chapatis of about 8-10 cm diameter. Keep them about 2-3mm thick. Do not roll them too thin as the pooris will then turn crispy and not puff up. Insert the rolled out pooris into the hot oil and immediately scoop out hot oil on top of the pooris. This helps them puff up.
Flip the pooris and continue the same process. When they turn a even golden brown, take them out to an absorbent paper towel to get rid of the excess oil. Serve hot with the baaji alongside a cup of filter coffee/ tea. Enjoy the Poori Baaji!
Poori Baaji
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Pressure cooker
- Medium sized pot (for deep frying)
- Slotted spoon
- Ladle
- Bowl (for mashing the potatoes)
- Wok (for making baaji)
- Potato masher/ fork
Ingredients
For the Poori:
- 1 Cup Whole wheat flour (plus more for rolling)
- ⅓ Cup Water, warm, divided
- ¼ tsp Salt
- Vegetable OIl (for deep frying)
For the Baaji:
- 3 Potatoes, medium sized (I used waxy potatoes)
- Salt, as acquired
- Water, as required (for pressure cooking)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 2 Onions, medium sized, sliced
- 1 Green chilli, medium sized, sliced thin
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- ¼ Cup Water
Instructions
Making the Dough for the Poori:
- In a large enough mixing bowl, mix together the flour with salt.
- Add the water in parts and knead into a soft pliable dough and keep aside and proceed to make the Baaji.
Mashing the Potatoes:
- Pressure cook the potatoes with sufficient water and salt for about 4 whistles.
- Allow the pressure cooker to cool, before opening.
- Transfer the potatoes to cold water and peel them.
- Transfer the peeled potatoes to a bowl and mash them well and set aside.
Making the Baaji:
- Heat some oil in a Wok on medium heat and splutter the mustard seeds, followed by the urad dal and curry leaves.
- Follow this with the green chilli and the onion and fry until the onion turns translucent.
- Add the mashed potatoes and give it a good mix. Check the salt and add more if needed.
- Mix the turmeric powder with the water and add it to the wok and mix well until well combined
- Continue to cook for a couple of minutes until the moisture has evaporated
- Take it off the flame and proceed to making the pooris.
Making the Pooris:
- Ina medium sized pot, heat sufficient oil on medium heat for deep frying
- Divide the rested dough into about 10 balls
- On a floured working surface, roll them out into little chapatis of about 8-10 cm diameter and about 2-3mm thick (see notes)
- Insert the rolled out dough into the hot oil and immediately scoop ladleful of oil on top of it. This helps the poori to puff up
- Flip the poori and continue scooping the oil on top of it.
- Fry until golden brown.
- With the help of a slotted spoon, remove onto a paper towel to absorb the excess oil
Serving the Poori-Baaji:
- In a serving plate, take a cup full of the baaji and serve with three pooris along with a cup of tea/ filter coffee
Notes
- if the pooris are rolled out too thin, they will crisp up and not puff up like a poori
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