Uttar Pradesh never fails to impress us with its rustic flavours and aromas. Being the largest state in the country, there’s no doubt about the fact that its cuisine is as diverse as the region. Be it the language, culture, rituals and plates, you’d find a distinct feature in each of them, speaking volumes about the place. They’ve got curries like nimona and aloo rasedaar in their pockets on one hand and melt-in-your-mouth kebabs like galouti and shami on the other. Uttar Pradesh is has close connections with Bihar too, given the proximity of the regions. Several dishes are common to both the regions. Be it breakfast, lunch, evening snacks or dinner, the locals of UP don’t believe in shortcuts and would go all out to prepare delectable foods at home.
From Banaras to Lucknow, from Kanpur to Allahabad, there is no dearth of variety on the food platter. One thing that remains constant across these cities is their love for aloo poori or poori bhaji. While in Punjab and Delhi, people use the former connotation, it is the latter that rings a bell in the hearts and minds of the people of Uttar Pradesh. This classic combination is often eaten for either breakfast or lunch. Poori, for the unversed, refers to crispy, deep-fried Indian bread that is round and puffed. Bhaji, on the other hand, is an accompaniment to the poori, which is basically a spicy potato curry.
If you think that poori is only paired with bhaji, you’re wrong. Halwas, chole and plenty of other side dishes are combined with poori to make a wholesome meal. Pooris are also of various kinds, right from dal ki poori to bedmi poori and more. These deep-fried delights, when dipped into a bowl of spicy curry, is an explosion of flavours in one’s mouth.
Want to make poori bhaji at home too? You have to start by preparing the dough of the poori. Unlike rotis, the wheat flour dough for poori uses a slightly different technique. Curd is added to the wheat flour and mixed with water. Knead the dough so that it becomes tight and give it some time to rest. Meanwhile, you can start working on your bhaji. Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and slice them into small cubes. To prepare the bhaji, take a pan and toss in mustard and cumin seeds in oil. Next, add some ginger, garlic, onions and chilli and stir them for a bit.
Throw in turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt. Finally, add your potatoes to it and combine it all well. Let the bhaji cook for a few minutes and then turn off the flame. Now take your dough and take small portions of it to be rolled into rounds like chapatti. Pre-heat oil in a kadhai and dip the poori in it. Tap it on the top with your spatula and let it fry until it turns golden brown. Once that has happened, repeat with the rest of the dough. Serve the pooris with the bhaji and some mango pickle on the side.
Here’s a detailed recipe for you to try.