From the recipe box
Aloo Bajji (Poori Masala)
Indian gravies, koftas, and saucy mains meant to pair with rice, roti, or phulkas.
- Meal format
- Curries & Gravies
- Base
- Jeera Rice, Roti
Potato, Onion, Tomato, Green peas
From my kitchenCook this meal
Ingredients & method
- Prep
- 10 mins
- Cook
- 20 mins
- Total
- 30 mins
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2large or 3 medium potatoes, pressure cooked until tender (1 minute on High Pressure in the Instant Pot), peeled, and roughly chopped
- 1medium onion, thinly sliced
- ½medium tomato (or 2 small tomatoes), diced
- 2green chilies, slit lengthwise
- —¼-inch piece ginger, grated
- 1sprig curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoonturmeric powder
- to tasteSalt
A pinch of sugar
- 1 tablespoonoil
- ½ teaspoonmustard seeds
- ½ teaspooncumin seeds
- 1 teaspoonchana dal
- 1 teaspoonurad dal
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 2 tablespoonsbesan (gram flour)
- About 1½ cupswater
Notes & Tips
- Aloo Bajji, also known as Poori Masala, is a classic South Indian potato curry traditionally served with fluffy pooris. It's equally delicious with dosa, chapati, or even toast, making it a versatile comfort meal.
- The besan (gram flour) is the star of this dish, so try to use a fresh batch. Since the recipe uses only a small amount, stale besan can noticeably affect the flavor. If your besan has been sitting in the pantry for a while, sift it first or consider opening a fresh package.
- Thinly sliced onions make a surprising difference in the final texture, giving the curry a soft, silky bite that blends beautifully with the potatoes.
- If you're avoiding besan, rice flour works as a simple substitute to help lightly thicken the curry, although the flavor will be slightly different.
Step by step
Method
- 01
Pressure cook the potatoes until just tender. Peel and roughly chop them, leaving some larger chunks since they'll naturally mash while cooking.
- 02
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, and hing, waiting about 20-30 seconds between additions so each ingredient has a chance to toast without burning.
- 03
Add the grated ginger and green chilies and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- 04
Add the thinly sliced onions along with the salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook until the onions become soft and translucent.
- 05
Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.
- 06
Add the besan and sauté for about a minute to lightly toast the flour. Before it begins to stick or burn, gradually pour in the water while stirring continuously until smooth. (Alternatively, bring the water to a simmer first, then whisk in the besan carefully to avoid lumps.)
- 07
Add the potatoes and turmeric. Gently mash some of the potatoes with the back of your spoon while leaving the rest chunky.
- 08
Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 5-7 minutes. If you'd like a thicker consistency, mash a few more pieces of potato and stir well.
- 09
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with poori, dosa, or chapati.
