How to make Poori Bhaji - Maharashtrian breakfast recipe

The Poori Bhaji recipe is the Maharashtrian version of Potato curry with pooris.  The Poori Bhaji is a dry potato sabji served with pooris and sometimes accompanied with onion slices, lemon wedges and coconut chutney.  The Poori bhaji is also served along with dal, rice and  raita in a thali. 

The Poori Bhaji is also a famous North Indian breakfast item.  The Poori Bhaji can be taken as a breakfast item or as a lunch item too.  The potato curry also called as batata bhaji in Marathi can also be served even with chapatis or dosa instead of pooris.  

Poori Bhaji is a comfortable food.  Even children will enjoy to eat Poori Bhaji.   Bhaji is made from potatoes so there is no chance to dislike it.   This article gives details on how to make the potato bhaji alone.  You can read another article on how to make Pooris. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized potatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1.5 tsp urad dal/black gram
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• ½ to ¾ cup chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
• 12-15 curry leaves
• 2 or 3 tbsp peanut oil or sunflower oil
• salt as required

How to make Potato Bhaji

Here is a step by step method of preparing the potato bhaji.

• First boil the potatoes till they are completely cooked and let them cool down.  The potatoes can be cooked in a pressure cooker
• Peel off the skin of the potatoes and chop them and keep aside.
• Heat oil in  a pan on low flame.  Add mustard, cumin and urad dal
• The mustard will crackle, the cumin will sizzle and the urad dal will be brown.  fry on a low flame
• Now add onions immediately and stir.  Dont allow the above spices to get burned or over fried.
• When the onions are soft, add green chillies and ginger.  Stir and fry for a minute on a low flame
• Now add curry leaves, stir and fry for few seconds
• Add the turmeric and asafoetida and stir
• Now add the chopped potatoes and half of the coriander leaves, stir.
• Add 3/4 cup of water, salt and stir the mixture
• Cover the pan and let the potatoes simmer for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame

Now the potato Bhaji is ready to be served.   Serve Potato Bhaji ( Batata Bhaji )  with hot Pooris garnished with remaining coriander leaves.