Methi Poori and Potato Masala...a Classic Combo!!

Poori is really a big fare at home as I make it very rare might be once in 3-4 months.So,when I make it we enjoy it to the fullest extent with out bothering about those extra calories.Poori is again a very versatile Indian bread which is paired with various curries all over the country.In Andhra,Poori is served with this famous potato masala or potato palya which is a dry version and where as in Karnataka,poori is served with vegetable saagu(which I have blogged before)and in most of the other regions it is served with chole,potato curry or kurma or tomato or aloo rasa.I personally like poori with any of the curries I mentioned above but this combination is really special at home for two reasons.During my college days my hostel friends used to get this combination atleast once a week for their lunch boxes and this is the only item which used to tempt me to exchange the home made food to the hostel food and the other reason is this is my hubby's favorite combo as his taste buds are pampered with this combo from childhood.This combination would really a great treat for kids as well as the potato masala is made with less spices but very flavorful which suits the taste buds of all kind of people and especially kids.

Generally pooris are made with wheat flour,but I like my pooris soft and chewy at the same time and should be good for lunch box.So I generally add few handfuls of maida along with wheat flour which not only gives a wonderful bright color to poori instead of brown but also makes poori soft and chewy.I generally do various versions of poori like simple regular poori,methi poori,spinach poori,tomato poori,beetroot or carrot poori,haldi ajwain waali poori,masala poori and some stuffed versions of poori which are equally delicious.

Methi Poori:
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1+1/2 handful all purpose flour
1 cup methi leaves
1/2 tsp ajwain
1 tbsp curds
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
Method:

• Carefully remove the methi leaves from the stems,take care not to retain any of the stems,otherwise poori might not fluff up.Wash the leaves and finely chop them and mix in salt and turmeric powder and leave it aside for 5 mins.Squeeze out the extra water from it.
• Sieve wheat flour and all purpose flour and mix well.
• Add chopped methi leaves,curds,ajwain,salt and oil to it and mix well.Pour milk and water in middle and mix the dough using three fingers(or prepare normally) and knead well until you get a smooth stiff and pliable dough.The dough should be little stiffer than roti dough.Grease oil all over the dough and leave it aside for half an hour.
• When you are ready to make pooris,heat the oil in a thick bottomed frying pan over low flame.
• Make small rounds out of it and flatten it into small poori's applying oil or flour.Roll it carefully taking care to avoid the folds forming while making pooris.
  
• Deep fry in medium hot oil until it puff's up.Try to slightly press the pooris with handle after it is dropped in the oil which helps in puffing up completely.

Serve hot with potato masala or curry of your choice.

Potato Masala:
Ingredients:
3 big potatoes
1 big onion,roughly sliced
4-5 green chillies,slit and chopped
a sprig of curry leaves
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp besan/chickpeas flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
juice of half lemon
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
Method:

• Pressure cook potatoes for 3 whistles until soft.Peel the skin and mash it roughly with fork or hands,do not mash it completely it should be chunky.
• Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds.Add chana dal and urad dal and fry until the dals turn slight brown.
• Add curry leaves,green chillies and hing and fry well.
• Add the chopped onions and fry until the onions are translucent and add slightly mashed potatoes and stir well.
• Mean while in a small bowl mix besan with one cup of water and whisk well to get a uniform mixture with out any lumps.
• Add turmeric powder and enough salt to it and mix well.
• Add the besan mixture and cover it and cook for 4-5 mins over low flame until the rawness from besan mixture disappears.
• Add more water if you want your gravy bit thin,add water and boil according to the desired consistency.
  
• Add lemon juice and chopped coriander and give a nice stir and remove it from stove immediately.

Serve it hot with poori/chapathy.

Note:

1. For variation you can add fresh or frozen green peas to the curry.
2. You can add tomato along with onions which makes the curry taste bit different.
3. You can avoid lemon juice in the above curry.

A Happy NOTE:

EC of Simple Indian Food has featured me in her famous series-Sunday Super Blogger for this week,I personally thank EC for giving me this wonderful opportunity and I am really excited as I got featured in her series.If you guys like me and want to know more about me please feel free to check EC's space or this link.