Puri-Bhaji/ Fried Bread with Mashed Potatoes.

Our weekend breakfast, brunch or early lunch...Puri Bhaji is my easy, no frills yet feel good meal. I like to make this but prefer eating the puris with bananas mashed in sweetened milk. A remnant of my childhood habits. Hot fried puris, straight of the flame is definitely comfort food. Here, with me rolling and frying,(and photographing now),I tend to get them not as hot.(But I start eating one rolled up with sugar, while the others are being produced.)

I know a lot of people like to eat it with Aam Ras(mango pulp), but a simple gingery potato or banana milk is my favorite combination. The excessive ginger in this recipe is supposed to relieve the indigestion produced by potatoes. Optionally, add a couple of cherry tomatoes along with the potatoes.

You'll need: For about 10-12 puris
Whole wheat flour- 1 1/2 cups
Water- ¾ cup more or less.
Oil -1 tbsp
Salt-to taste
Oil for Frying-1-2 cups

Preparation:
1. Add salt and oil to the flour and make it crumbly. Add water a bit at a time to make dough. Knead well for about 5 minutes till everything comes together.The dough should be smooth but medium hard in texture. Knead it well to make a smooth roll. Cover with a plastic wrap and keep aside for 15 minutes. Divide into even sized balls...about the size of a very small lemon.

Roll it out to a small circle and fry it. Do not roll out more than 2-3 at a time as it hardens if it is not fried immediately. Heat oil in a wok/kadai/cheenachatti/ and when it is hot, slide one puri in from the side. Press down with the slotted spoon to allow it rise completely and then turn over and cook the other side till golden flecks appear on both sides. Remove and drain onto paper towels.

P.S: Do not roll it out too thin. Test the temperature by dropping a speck of dough in the oil and seeing how fast it comes up. The heat should be medium hot consistently.

Potato Bhaji
Potatoes-2 big ones diced into small pieces.
Onion-1 cup chopped coarsely
Green Chilies-6-7 chopped.
Ginger- 1 inch piece, chopped finely
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Salt-3/4 tsp or to taste
Curry leaves- 1 sprig.
Mustard Seeds- ½ tsp
Oil-2 tbsp
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy pan. After a minute, lower the heat and add the mustard seeds and cover till it finishes spluttering. Keep a safe distance if uncovered. Now add the curry leaves, and onions, green chilies and ginger.

Stir fry for a minute and then add the potato cubes, turmeric and salt. Add 1 cup water (enough to submerge the potatoes), and let it come to a boil. Now cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Open and add more water if the potatoes are not cooked. When the potatoes are cooked, mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Check seasoning.
Serve hot with the puris.
Food BLog,Breakfast, Poori Bhaji,Fried Bread, Mashed Potatoes, Kerala Recipes, Malabar Recipes Kerala Recipes, Malabar Recipes,