Maharashtrian Poori Bhaji

The easiest, tastiest poori bhaji recipe! A classic combo where mildly flavored potato side dish is served with hot, puffy puris. It’s a popular breakfast or brunch dish in India. Every region has its own version. This one is Maharashtrian style puri bhaji. This is the famous street food in Mumbai.

The potato side is called batata bhaji or potato bhaji. It is mild, lightly spiced and flavored with ginger and curry leaves. Lemon juice and fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) add some zing to the bhaji. In short, it is mild in taste yet very delicious and flavorful.

It tastes even better when warm bhaji is served with puffed, hot puris. As you know that pooris are the classic, fried Indian puffy bread. It’s very versatile that goes well with savories and sweets. Check out the detailed post on how to make poori.

The bhaji we get at the street food stalls or in restaurants has south Indian flavor. It comes from the addition of urad dal and curry leaves in the tempering and also the addition of onions. Restaurant people make just one versatile aloo bhaji and use the same as a stuffing in dosa. Here I have skipped the urad dal and onions to keep the authentic Maharashtrian style.

This bhaji is no onion no garlic recipe. I have already shared another version of batata bhaji where onions are added. You can choose any bhaji recipe to serve with puri.

Different versions:

• Aloo puri – North Indian (Punjabi) style, gravy version of spicy aloo curry served with poori.
• Poori masala – South Indian style, gravy version of mild potato masala curry served with poori.
• Bedmi aloo with poori – UP style (popular in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh), spicy, strongly flavored potato curry served with urad dal poori.

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

Making Dough:

1. Wash and scrub the potatoes really well. Boil in the traditional stovetop pressure cooker or boil potatoes in instant pot. To boil in a pressure cooker, take washed potatoes in the cooker. Add enough water so potatoes are submerged in the water. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles on medium heat. A number of whistles will purely depend on the size and thickness of the potatoes.
2. While potatoes are cooking, let’s prepare the dough for poori. Take chapati atta, salt in a bowl and mix.
   
3. Add oil and mix thoroughly using fingertips.
   
4. Now add little water at a time and start kneading the dough. It should be smooth and tight (NOT SOFT like roti dough and not TOO TIGHT like mathri dough).
   
5. Cover it and let it rest while we prepare the rest. The resting time should be minimum of 15 minutes.
   
6. Let the pressure go down by itself and open the lid. Remove the potatoes and Check the potatoes by inserting a knife or fork. It should go inside easily without any efforts. Potatoes should be soft, not mushy.
7. Let them cool to touch. Then peel the skip and cut into cubes. Also chop ginger and green chilies.
   

Making Bhaji:

1. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
   
2. Add cumin seeds and let the sizzle.
   
3. Then add chopped green chilies and ginger. Saute for 30-40 seconds or till the raw smell of ginger goes away.
   
4. Add curry leaves.
   
5. After 30 seconds add turmeric powder and hing.
   
6. Immediately add potatoes and salt.
   
7. Mix really well and add water. Stir.
   
8. Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. If needed stir in between. Turn off the stove.
   
9. Lastly, add lemon juice and mix.
   
10. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro.
    

Making Poori:

1. The dough has rested enough, now again knead 2-3 times to smooth out. Divide it into 12 equal portions and make smooth balls.
   
2. Then flatten between your palms and make discs.
   
3. Take one flattened disc and roll into 2-3 inch diameter circle with the help of the rolling board and rolling pin. NOTE: Never use any dry flour while rolling as a dusting. Otherwise, the flour will burn while frying and then that burnt black flour particle will stick to the next poori. If needed you can apply a drop of oil to the flattened disc for easy rolling, but a big no-no to dry dusting of flour.
   
4. On the other side, heat the oil on medium heat for frying. While oil is heating up, roll a few pooris and keep them in a plate. Keep it covered with a kitchen towel.
   
5. Once the oil is hot slide one poori in it. By very gentle pressing using back of slotted spatula fry them. It will help poori to puff up.
   
6. As it is puffed up and bottom side gets light brown meaning there are no more bubbles in the oil. That time flip it.
   
7. Fry the other side until it is light golden brown in color. Do not fry for a long time otherwise, it will get crispy and hard with dark brown in color. we don’t want that.
   
8. Remove it from the oil using slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined plate. fry all the pooris same way and serve with batata bhaji.
   

Serving Ideas:

• Serve puri bhaji as a breakfast or brunch.
• If you cannot eat heavy food in the morning like me then enjoy it as a dinner or lunch. Have some mango pickle or kachumber on the side to make it a complete meal. Make some dal-rice on the side. Thus you can cut down the portion of poori (indulging food) in your meal.
• Instead of having bhaji with poori, you can have roti or paratha.

Check out more Indian breakfast recipes
Aloo paratha  // Upma recipe  // Poha recipe //  Methi thepla // Besan cheela // Dal pakwan

Did you try this poori bhaji recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don’t forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!

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Maharashtrian Poori Bhaji

4.34 from 3 votes

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Poori bhaji is the classic breakfast or brunch combo of warm aloo bhaji with puffed, hot puris. This is the Maharashtrian style puri bhaji recipe.

Author: Kanan

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Maharashtrian

Calories: 686kcal

Servings 2

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

Ingredients  

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For Batata Bhaji:

• ▢ 2 medium or 2 cups Potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• ▢ 2-3 Green chili chopped finely
• ▢ ½ inch Ginger chopped finely
• ▢ 7-8 Curry leaves
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ▢ a pinch Hing (Asafoetida)
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ ¼ cup Water
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped finely

For Poori:

• ▢ 1 cup Whole wheat flour (Chapati atta)
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Oil + more for deep frying
• ▢ ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Water

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

Preparation:

• Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker till soft. For that take washed potatoes in the cooker, add water so potatoes are submerged in the water. Pressure cook on medium heat for 2-3 whistles.
• Once pressure releases open the lid and remove the potatoes.
• Alternately, you can boil the potatoes in instant pot.
• Once cool to touch peel the skin and cut into small cubes.
• Also, chop ginger and green chilies for bhaji.
• While potatoes are cooking, knead the dough for poori. For that mix chapati atta and salt in a bowl.
• Add oil and mix thoroughly.
• Start adding little water at a time and knead into smooth yet little stiff dough (not soft like roti dough).
• Cover and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.

Making Bhaji:

• Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them pop.
• Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
• Add ginger and green chilies and saute for 30 seconds.
• Add curry leaves, turmeric, and hing.
• Immediately add potatoes, salt. Mix well.
• Add water, stir and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes. If required, do stir in between. Turn off the stove.
• Lastly, add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well.

Making Poori:

• Once the dough is rested, knead again 2-3 times to make it smooth.
• Divide into 12 equal portions, make smooth balls and flatten between palms to make a disc.
• Roll into 2-3 inches diameter circle. Similarly, roll a few of them, keep them covered in a plate.
• Heat the oil in a pan for frying on medium heat. Once hot, slide puri gently. Give a gentle press in a circular motion using a slotted spatula. And puri will puff up immediately.
• Once there are no more bubbles from the bottom and it has a light golden color, flip and fry another side.
• Then remove it to a paper towel-lined plate. Similarly, fry all the puris and serve.

Notes

• Always make bhaji first and keep the poori dough ready. While your family members or you are ready to eat, roll and fry the pooris, another side just warm up the bhaji. Serve hot puri and warm bhaji.
• While rolling poori never use any dry flour as a dusting. If used, the flour will burn while frying and then those burnt black flour particles will stick to the next poori. If needed you can apply a drop of oil to the flattened disc for easy rolling, but a big no-no to dry dusting of flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5.2g | Fat: 55.4g | Saturated Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 2g

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

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