Recipes · Indian · Breakfast

Puri Bhaji (Puffed Fried Wheat Bread with Spiced Potatoes)

One serving has 528 kcal and 12 g protein, and at least a fifth of a woman's daily need of manganese (154%), selenium (76%), vitamin C (63%), pyridoxine (61%), copper (53%) and phosphorus (46%). Ready in 45 minutes.

• Preparation: 20 min
• Cooking: 25 min
• Makes: 1 serving (387 g)
• Difficulty: Medium
• Diets: Vegan, Dairy-free
• Contains: gluten, mustard

Ingredients

• 55 g Wholewheat flour (atta)
• 5 g Semolina (sooji)
• 90 g Water (for the dough and the bhaji)
• 12 g Vegetable oil (for deep-frying; the part the puris take up)
• 160 g Potatoes
• 40 g Onion
• 4 g Green chillies
• 3 g Ginger, fresh
• 7 g Sunflower oil (for the bhaji)
• 1 g Mustard seeds
• 0.5 g Cumin seeds
• 0.5 g Curry leaves
• 0.1 g Asafoetida (hing)
• 0.5 g Turmeric
• 5 g Lemon juice
• 3 g Fresh coriander
• 0.5 g Salt

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Cool, peel and break them into rough chunks.
2. Mix the flour, semolina and a pinch of the salt with a few drops of the frying oil, then knead in about 30 ml water to a stiff, smooth dough. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.
3. For the bhaji, heat the sunflower oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop, then the cumin, curry leaves, asafoetida, chopped chillies and grated ginger for 30 seconds. Add the sliced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft.
4. Stir in the turmeric, potatoes, the rest of the salt and 60 ml water. Mash a few pieces and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the potatoes sit in a loose yellow sauce. Finish with the lemon juice and chopped coriander.
5. Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll each into a 10 cm round about 2 mm thick, using a smear of oil rather than flour, which burns in the oil.
6. Heat oil about 4 cm deep in a kadai or small deep pan to 180 °C: a pinch of dough should rise at once. Slide in one puri and press it gently with a slotted spoon so it puffs up like a balloon, about 20-30 seconds, then turn it and fry for 20 seconds more until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
7. Serve the puris hot and puffed with the bhaji, as Mumbai's breakfast stalls do.

Nutrition per serving

Shares of a day's need are for a woman of 30, 165 cm, 60 kg, lightly active, by the US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes. SustainBite works out each person's own needs, by the standard where they live: the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations in Norway, the UK's, EFSA's in the EU.

Climate footprint

0.3 kg CO2e a serving: about average for breakfasts, sides, desserts and drinks on SustainBite. Source: ADEME, Agribalyse 3.2.

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