Aloo Poori (No Onion Garlic)

Hearty, flavorful and indulgent, aloo poori is the perfect comfort food for any occasion. It is a timeless North Indian favorite, a comforting pairing of spicy potato (aloo) curry with crispy golden puffed pooris. In this post I am sharing my family's no onion, no garlic recipe for aloo ki sabji, which is cooked in the traditional style and tastes similar to shops in India.

We love serving it with namak ajwain pooris for leisurely weekend breakfasts or as part of festive spreads during Navratri or Diwali. Pair it with khatta meetha kaddu (pumpkin curry), boondi ka raita & spicy achar (pickle). Serve suji halwa as a sweet side and enjoy the most iconic meal!

At mom's house, homemade aloo and poori were our typical weekend breakfast, especially in the winter. A hot cup of masala chai made the meal complete. On the streets of Delhi, you'll often find a similar aloo sabzi served with bedmi poori.

Aloo sabzi is made countless ways in indian homes and I have a few ways too. But with pooris, I usually like this variation. You need few ingredients - ghee, boiled potatoes, spices and tomatoes. Some people add onion and garlic, while others use raw potatoes and let them cook directly in the curry. There's no right or wrong, it's simply different methods.

Poori (Puffed Flatbreads)

Most often, the basic dough for plain poori is made simply with whole wheat flour(atta) and water, much like roti or plain paratha. There is no leavening or fermentation involved. At home, we usually prepare ajwain (carrom seed) flavored pooris, and I also like to add a little semolina to the dough for extra crispiness. It is best to use indian atta for making poori as it fine milled. You can easily purchase atta online or in ethnic grocery stores.

How To Make Poori Aloo Curry

1. Warm up ghee on low medium in a heavy-bottomed cooking pot/kadai. Temper the ghee with whole spices and dried red chillies. Fry the spices in ghee for 5-7 seconds taking care not to burn.
2. Add hing, chopped cilantro stems, ginger and green chillies next. Again saute for 5-7 seconds.
3. Next, add all the spice powders (except amchur & garam masala). Add ¼ cup water so that the spice powders don't burn. Fry for 15-20 seconds on low medium heat or so untill you smell a nice aroma. You will see ghee separating.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes now. Cook the tomatoes for 2-4 minutes or until you see ghee starting to separate on the sides of the pot. 
5. Add in the boiled potatoes, sprinkle salt. Mix well and cook the potatoes for 2-4 minutes along with tomato and spices.
6. Pour 1-1.5 cup hot water next, mix well and let the curry come to a boil.

7. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let simmer for 10-12 minutes on low heat. Halfway, check for water and adjust if needed or as per desired consistency. You can mash a few potatoes using back of the spoon at this time, this helps in thickening the curry. You can make the curry thin or thick as you prefer.
8. Switch off the stove and add the amchur powder, kasuri methi and garam masala powder. I also add in a teaspoon of ghee for finishing. Mix well, cover and let rest while you make pooris. Reheat if needed and garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

How To Make Poori

1. In a wide dish or a large mixing bowl, mix together whole wheat flour (atta), suji (semolina)salt, and ajwain. Mix well using your fingers to combine.
2. Use room temperature water. Add a little water at a time and start bringing the flour together. Continue adding water gradually until no dry flour remains.

3. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until it becomes smooth and firm. Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil while kneading to smoothen the dough. The dough should be stiff but not dry. It should not be soft.
4. Cover with cloth and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

5. Divide the rested dough into equal portions. Roll each portion between palms to make small balls( size of a small lime).

5. Set about 2 inches of oil for deep frying to heat up in a kadhai(an iron kadahi or works best for texture). Use a concave shaped utensil for deep frying else you will need a large quantity of oil.
6. Start with 1 dough ball at a time flatten it lightly on the rolling board and with the help of a rolling pin, roll into a 3" or 4" circle. If your dough is well kneaded, you won't need even oil and the pooris will roll easily. You could spread oil as needed if dough sticks. Don't use dry flour.

Pooris are meant to be smaller in diameter than roti. My grandmother used to say that a poori should be rolled out in just 4-6 movements of the rolling pin. That's something to keep in mind.If it takes you more than that, you're probably making them too big.

I prefer rolling all poori in one go and then deep frying in one go. After rolling, place the raw poori without stacking or touching each other else they stick and when you try to pick them, they will deform. Keep them covered with a cloth.

8. To check the temperature of the oil, pinch a small portion of dough and add it to the oil, it should quickly rise to the top without changing color. If the dough rises slowly or remains at the bottom, wait for the oil to heat up more.
9. The oil should be hot, but not smoking. Carefully slide the rolled poori into the hot oil. It will start puffing up quickly. The oil will be bubbling. Gently press the poori with a slotted spoon to help it puff up fully(watch the video for better understanding). It won't puff properly if you don't press. Fry until it's golden brown on both sides.

8. Drain the puri using a slotted spoon to remove the excess oil. Place on a paper towel. Fry all the poori in a similar manner. Serve with aloo sabzi that we prepared earlier.Enjoy!