Jan 13, 2014, Updated Sep 11, 2024 Amma doesn’t really like to cook, though – she admits it is done out of duty. The gastronomical delights that my hubby grew up on – all those fresh-daily, hand-rolled rotis (healthy wholewheat flatbreads akin to flour tortillas); all those cardamom-infused, milky payasams (rice or vermicelli puddings); all those from-scratch, stick-to-the-ribs chickpea curries (nary a canned chickpea in sight) – those were all a labour of love for her family. And I mean labour – it’s not uncommon for an Indian home cook to spend 6 or more hours a day in the kitchen. Breakfast ends and lunch preparation begins. Puts our dependence on convenience foods and quick-and-easy meals into perspective, doesn’t it? This dish is one of my favourites that she makes for us. It’s usually a breakfast dish, but Adarsh and I eat it any time of day. I gleaned his mom’s recipe from watching her make it several times. An internet search tells me their are many variations on this dish – this version is authentic to their Keralan home, evolved a bit to my kitchen. Mustard seeds, ginger, chiles and curry leaves are cornerstone ingredients in South Indian cuisine, which boasts fresh flavours very different from the spice-dense curries common to other parts of India. This South Indian version of potato (aloo) bhaji starts with onions, slowly cooked down to a sweet golden brown – no rushing this in this step. Mustard seeds and curry leaves are added – sauteeing them in this step coaxes out their nutty flavours. Potatoes, carrots and tomatoes are then simmered until soft with some hot chile (fresh and ground), fresh ginger, and a dash of turmeric. Cilantro and lime juice are stirred in at the end; although not traditional, I find they add a welcome brightness. This bhaji is typically served at the break of day with stack of hot pooris, which are basically rotis fried in oil until they puff up and submit their healthfulness to golden deliciousness. But you can easily nix the deep-fry and serve bhaji with store-bought whole grain tortilla wraps, or these homemade ones (go ahead and sub whole wheat flour). This is true, tummy-warming comfort food.
Ingredients
For bhaji:
1/4 cup vegetable oil 3 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, chopped (yield 2 cups) 1 tbsp mustard seeds 1/2 cup loosely packed curry leaves 1 1/2 tbsp finely grated ginger 2 serrano peppers, minced 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tsp table salt) 4 medium russet potatoes, coarsely chopped (3 lbs) 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (3/4 lb) 1/2 cup minced cilantro 1/2 lime, juiced
For pooris:
3 cups whole wheat flour 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 cup warm water vegetable oil, for frying
Preparation
For bhaji: For pooris:
