Club kachori with aloo ki sabzi

Street food in Kolkata is to die for. We’ve all heard about the puchkas but these streets have taken a simple aloo puri to another level. This potato curry made with aromatic spices with hing kachoris is one of our favourites. 

Ingredients:

For puri:

1/2 cup urad dal

1 ½  cups maida

½ cup semolina

1/2 tsp Hing

Salt to taste

2tbs  Oil + for deep frying

Water for dough

1tsp ajwain/ nigella seeds (I used ajwain)

For curry:

1tbs Oil

1tsp Mustard seeds

1tsp Cumin seeds

1tsp Hing

Toasted and powdered spices (¼ tsp ajwain+¼ tsp methi+½ tsp fennel seed)

1.5tsp Ginger-garlic paste

1tsp green chilli paste

1 Onion pureed

3 Potatoes (cubed)

1 tsp Chilli powder

1tsp Coriander powder

1/4tsp Turmeric

1tsp Garam masala

1tsp Amchoor powder

1tsp Pepper

1tsp Kasuri methi

Salt to taste

1 cup water

Method:

For Puris: 

1. Wash urad dal and soak the dal for 45 min to 1 hour in hot water. Strain the dal then grind it into a paste.
2. In a mixing bowl take the all purpose flour, semolina, urad dal paste, salt, hing and ajwain.
3. Mix well with a spoon then add the oil.
4. Rub the flour with your fingertips and mix well to get a bread crumb like texture in the flour. When you hold a portion of the mixture in your palm, it should not fall apart and break, but hold itself.
5. Then add water in parts and begin to knead.
6. Add enough water to make a smooth soft dough. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
7. Now shape some dough roundels, using a rolling pin. Roll the puris just a little thicker than normal puris. You can use some oil if the dough is sticking to the rolling pin or the platform. 
8. Set a wok or kadhai on high flame & heat some oil. 
9. Now add in the rolled puri & just give it 5 seconds to coat with oil. Now using your spatula, gently push the puri inside the oil, this will allow the puri to fluff up immediately.
10. Once the puri fluffs up, flip and cook from the other side. If the puri is not coloured properly you can use the spatula to sprinkle some oil on the top to cook evenly. Fry the puri until it is crisp & golden brown. Strain the puri & leave it on an absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Repeat until puris/ kachoris are fried. 

For Curry: 

1. In a pressure cooker heat the oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them splutter.
2. Now add the hing, ginger garlic paste and the green chilli paste till the raw smell goes off.
3. At this stage, add the onion puree and fry till brown (make sure not to burn).
4. Now add the potato cubes and saute for 2-3 min.
5. Add all the powdered spices. Mix well and add the water.
6. Pressure cook this mixture for 3 whistles or till potatoes are tender. 
7. Now add kasuri methi and salt to taste and cook for 2 min.
8. Garnish with some fresh coriander & serve the delicious aloo ki sabzi with the crisp hot kachoris or puris!