Hotel Style Poori Masala Recipe | Aloo Besan Curry for Puri
Poori Masala – confused with the name? It is a scrumptious hotel-style aloo curry that is served as a side dish with pooris. The poori masala recipe is made with a lot of onions, boiled potatoes, mildly spiced with green chilies. Serve it as an accompaniment with poori, chapati, or dosa.
While aloo curry is one of the favorites in the country, each region uses different ingredients, spices, and the making process also varies.
Today, I present to you the South Indian version of aloo curry with besan.
Being a South Indian, aloo curry is a staple food I grew up eating. Though the curry is mildly spiced, it is just so comforting. The combo of pooris and potato masala brings back so many wonderful childhood memories.
Recollecting my childhood days, Sunday was undoubtedly the best day of the week. Most of the time, mom would make puris and aloo curry or dry potato masala. I and my elder brother would fight to get hot and fluffy pooris, right out of the kadai.
What is Hotel style Poori Masala?
As this curry is specially served with poori, this dish gets its name Poori Masala.
This South Indian variation of aloo curry is different from the North Indian version. The typical South Indian tempering ingredients like mustard seeds, curry leaves, lentils, etc are not a part of North Indian recipes.
This delicacy is served in most South Indian restaurants, hotels, tiffin centers, and roadside bandi/pushcart.
In the Telugu states, it is also called Besan Poori curry.
This poori masala is inspired by the very popular dish Bombay Chutney (absolutely no clue why it is called so) and modified by adding boiled potatoes.
The preparation is quite similar to the aloo masala served inside masala dosa. The main differences are the consistency and addition of besan.
About Poori Masala recipe
The poori masala recipe is so simple that there is hardly any scope to go wrong.
Traditionally the potatoes are boiled separately, and added to the tempering made with lots of sliced onions, lentils, basic spices, and curry is thickened by gram flour slurry.
The dish can be made within 20 mins if you have boiled potatoes ready with you. Most of the time, I boil potatoes a day before, cool them down completely, and refrigerate them so that I can save about 15 minutes. If you want to hasten up this recipe please follow this trick by all means.
Turmeric powder is the only spice powder used in this recipe which gives the dish that signature yellow color.
This recipe is made with basic ingredients and packed with South Indian flavors. Though it is a very basic dish, it tastes delicious.
Reasons to make
Simple but very flavorful dish.
Need minimal ingredients.
Classic combo of mildly spiced aloo curry and piping hot pooris makes a gratifying breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner meal.
Loved by all ages.
Bachelors and beginners friendly recipe.
No grinding is required.
Addition of chickpea flour makes the gravy smooth and creamy.
Ingredients to make Aloo besan curry
Potatoes: The key ingredient in this dish. Select a low to medium starch variety of potatoes to make this curry.
Tempering: oil, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin, dry red chilies, green chilies, and curry leaves.
Lentils give a nice crunch to the dish. Can skip them, if you do not like the taste.
Ginger, garlic, and green chilies: Usually garlic is not added to this curry. But, trust me, add these three for a unique taste. Green chilies are the only source of spice. Adding crushed green chilies adds extra spice.
Besan/Gram flour: It is one of the main ingredients in this recipe used as a thickening agent. Quality of besan makes a difference in taste, so use fresh and good quality besan.
Coriander leaves to garnish.
Salt to taste.
Pro Tips
In this dish, the onions should have a crunch in them and retain their shape but should not taste raw.
Slice the onions into thick and long pieces.
Cook the onions until they turn soft. If they are cooked until the color changes, they will get mixed up into the gravy.
This dish does not need more oil. Use oil just enough to cook the onions.
Saute the boiled potatoes for a few minutes. It enhances the taste of potatoes.
Add crushed ginger, garlic, and green chilly instead of store-bought paste. The moment you add the paste and saute, the house will be filled with the aroma.
The combination of aloo curry and puris can be heavy on the tummy, so I add ginger and asafoetida. They help in digesting the food. If you do not like the strong aroma of asafoetida, feel free to skip it.
The color of this aloo besan curry has to be yellow. So, do not add red chili powder.
If you want to make it spicy, crush more green chilies.
How to make Poori masala
1. In a bowl, add 1 tbsp besan and 1/8th cup of water. Mix to a smooth consistency without any lumps.
3 & 4. Heat oil in a pan or kadhai over medium flame. When hot, add chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. On medium flame, fry till dals starts to change color.
5. Next, add slit or chopped green chilies, curry leaves, dry red chilies, and asafoetida. Fry for a few seconds.
6. Add the sliced onions, and saute till translucent.
7. Add the crushed ginger, garlic, and green chilly. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the raw smell goes away.
8, 9, & 10. Add turmeric powder and salt. Saute for a minute.
11, 12, & 13. Now, add boiled potatoes. Break them with a ladle and saute for about 2-3mins.
14. Add 2 cups of water and mix well.
15. Turn the flame to high and cook for 5 minutes.
16. Turn the flame to low, add the besan slurry and mix well.
17. The curry will start to thicken.
18. Taste for seasoning (salt) and adjust accordingly. Cover the pan and simmer the aloo curry for at least 10 mins.
19. Remove the cover and add coriander leaves.
20. Mix well. Poori Masala is ready. Serve hot with pooris.
Serving Suggestions
Mildly spiced, yet scrumptious this hotel-style aloo curry is something that you need to serve with hot and fluffy puris.
You can also serve it along with chapati, plain parathas, porottas, laccha paratha, and dosa.
Storage Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, refrigerate for 1-2 days only in an air-tight container.
Reheat in a microwave or in a pan on the stovetop before serving. The gravy will thicken, so add water while reheating.
Variations
You can add other vegetables. Green peas and carrots are the best choices. The different colors are a treat to the eyes and they add nutritional value too.
Can add tomatoes for a tangy taste. Or, squeeze a lemon after the dish is ready. Do not cook after adding lemon juice.
If you run out of besan, you can skip it. Instead, mash a few potato pieces to thicken the curry.
Likewise, if you run out of potatoes, you can make this poori masala without potatoes. Just increase the quantity of onions.
More Aloo recipes to try
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Recipe Card
Hotel Style Poori Masala Recipe | Aloo Besan Curry for Puri
Ingredients
- 3 medium Potatoes
- 2 medium Onions (thickly sliced)
- 2-3 tbsp Oil
- 1-2 tsp Chana dal
- 1-2 tsp Urad dal
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 4-6 Green chilies
- 2 Dry red chilies
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (hing)
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
Gram flour slurry
- 1 tbsp Gram flour (besan)
- 1/8 cup Water
Ginger, garlic, and green chilies paste
- 1/2 inch Ginger
- 3-4 cloves Garlic (peeled)
- 1 Green chilly
Instructions
Make the besan slurry
- In a bowl, add 1 tbsp besan and 1/8th cup of water. Mix to a smooth consistency without any lumps. Keep it aside.
Make the Poori Masala
- Heat oil in a pan or kadhai over medium flame. When hot, add chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. On medium flame, fry till dals starts to change color.
- Next, add slit or chopped green chilies, curry leaves, dry red chilies, and asafoetida. Fry for a few seconds.
- Add the sliced onions, and saute till translucent.
- Add the crushed ginger, garlic, and green chilly. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the raw smell goes away.
- Add turmeric powder and salt. Saute for a minute.
- Now, add boiled potatoes. Break them with a ladle and saute for about 2-3mins.
- Add 2 cups of water and mix well. Turn the flame to high and cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn the flame to low, add the besan slurry and mix well.
- The curry will start to thicken.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Cover the pan and simmer the aloo curry for at least 10 mins.
- Remove the cover and add coriander leaves.
- Mix well. Poori Masala is ready. Serve hot with pooris.
Notes
Cook With San is all about making “Everyday Yummylicious” with easy, quick, and restaurant-style recipes.
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