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Puri bhaji
Puri bhaji (पुरी भाजी): puffed wheat puris with dry mustard-and-turmeric potato bhaji for the tiffin and the train
In Mumbai, Pune and across Gujarat, puri bhaji is what goes into the steel dabba on exam days and into the bag for a long train ride: small puffed puris and a dry, sunny-yellow potato bhaji spiked with mustard seeds, green chilli and curry leaves. Because the bhaji is dry, it never soaks the puris, and both taste good at room temperature by lunchtime. The common mistake is a soft dough, which drinks oil and gives flat, greasy puris; knead it stiff, like a firm chapati dough. Chef's tip: mash only a third of the potatoes and leave the rest in rough chunks, so the bhaji clings together in the box without turning to paste.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the puris
- 1 tbsp fine semolina (rava)helps the puris stay crisp
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ cup waterroughly, added a little at a time
- 2 cups sunflower oilfor deep-frying
For the bhaji
- 1 ⅓ lb floury potatoesboiled in their skins, peeled
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- 12 curry leaves
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar (optional)Gujarati style; optional
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz wholewheat flour (atta), 1 tbsp fine semolina (rava) and ½ tsp salt in a bowl, rub in 1 tbsp sunflower oil, then add ½ cup water bit by bit and knead into a stiff, smooth dough that barely dents when pressed. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Break 1 ⅓ lb floury potatoes into 2 cm chunks with your fingers, then lightly crush about a third of them.
Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds and wait until the seeds crackle, about 30 seconds, then add ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 pinch asafoetida, 12 curry leaves, 2 green chillies and 1 tsp fresh ginger and stir for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 4: Stir in ½ tsp ground turmeric, then the potatoes, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp sugar. Toss gently over a low heat for 4–5 minutes until every piece is evenly yellow and hot through. Take off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp fresh coriander.
5 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 16 balls and roll each into a 9 cm round, about 2 mm thick, without flour if you can (rub a drop of oil on the board instead).
Step 6: Heat 2 cups sunflower oil in a kadai or deep pan to 350°F: a pinch of dough should rise at once with lively bubbles. Slide in one puri, press it gently with the back of a slotted spoon until it puffs fully, flip and fry for 20 seconds more until pale gold on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat.
12 minStep 7: Cool both parts completely before closing the tiffin, keep the puris in a separate compartment so they stay crisp, and eat within the day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does puri bhaji take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of floury potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
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