Poori and Potato Saag

Poori Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Maida (all purpose flour) - 1/2 cup
salt - 1/2 tsp or as per taste
Oil - 3 - 4 cups enough to deep fry the pooris

Preparation:

1. In a vessel mix the flour and salt. Add water little by little and knead to make a semi-soft dough ( similar to chapathi or pizza dough).

2. Make small lime sized balls of the dough.
3. Flatten each dough into a round shape similar to chapathi (but smaller in size).

4. Heat oil in a wok.
5. Add 1 - 2 pooris at a time depending on the size of the wok and amount of oil. The pooris must fully subemerge in the oil.

6. Flip them to make sure both sides are cooked. Take them out when they are light golden brown in color. You may use filter paper or a mesh to drain the oil.

Aloo (potato) Saag ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 -3 big ones or 4 -5 small ones. Any kind will do.
Onions - 1 big - cut them length wise into thin long slices.
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized.
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Besan (channa dal flour) - 3 - 4 tsps
Green chillies (Jalapenos) - 2 -3
Dry Red Chilli powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp (Balance the green chillies and chilli powder depending on spice level)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - just a pinch
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain (oregano seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5
Cilantro - 3 - 4 sprigs
Lemon - 1

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes, drain and cool. Peel off the skin and mash the potatoes. It doesn't have to be a smooth paste. Let there be few bite sized chunks. Keep it aside.
2. In a kadai, heat 3 tsps of oil. Add mustard seeds, let it splutter. Add chopped green chillies. fry for a few seconds. Add Hing, Curry Leaves, Urad Dal, Ajwain and Jeera in that order (urad dal, omam and jeera char soon).
3. Add the onions and garlic paste. Fry till onions are golden brown in color.

4. Add the tomatoes. Add salt and cover with a lid till the tomatoes cook. Fry in between to prevent charring.

5. Add the mashed potatoes and mix.

6. In a cup of water, add the besan (channa dal flour) and mix well to remove lumps. Add this to the kadai with constant stirring to prevent lumps.

7. Add chilli powder, 1 cup water, mix, cover with a lid and let it boil. Stir in between to prevent charring. Add more water if the saag is too thick.
8. The saag should boil well till the raw taste of the flour is gone.
9. In the end, add lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot pooris with Aloo saag. Aloo saag goes well with chapathis also.