Poori Palya

When the fellow blogger Madhuri Agarwal of  https://madaboutkitchen did a post on poori palya..I was soo tempted to do one..People from bangalore and mysore like to eat their pooris hot, puffed up with spicy sagu(mixed vegetables in gravy), you can check that here or palya with chutney.
Its a typical morning breakfast with saagu or palya, that is potato and onion curry, the same which is used in masala dosa. 
Unlike in other parts of India Pooris are had with chola, sooji halwa and other subajis..
But it is typical here in karnataka, it is had with spicy saagu or palya with chutney.
My family and me are no different, we love hot puffed pooris with palya or saagu.
the palya is supposed to be mild in spice and a bit spicy chutney.
My daughter loves pooris rolled in palya for having at home for breakfast or for packed lunch.
Though we are not great fans of fried stuff, sometimes its ok to give in for your craving.
So it is mostly brunch when it comes to pooris.
Back in India when I was in college, it  used to be the regular breakfast on sundays.
But I make it only once in six months or so.
I am giving an exact measurement  for pooris, so it puffs up nicely and stays like that for a while.
Also some tips to make perfect puffed, crisp pooris.

For Poori Dough:
Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tspn,
Water - 1/2 cup,
Oil - 2 teaspoon,
Oil to fry.

For Palya:
Onion - 2 Large, sliced and cut into halves( I have used red onions, but you can use normal onions),
Potato - 4 medium (boiled and skin peeled and coarsely crushed),
Oil - 1 tablespoon,
Mustard - 1 teaspoon,
Split Bengal Gram/Chana dal - 1 teaspoon,
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,
Green Chillies - 1 finely chopped,
Curry Leaves - 10 torn,
Chopped Coriander - 1 teaspoon,
Salt.

Method:
In a bowl add flour, salt and mix.
Measure water and take away two teaspoons  from it.
Make a well in the flour and slowly add water.
Keep mixing the flour with water to make a stiff dough.
Keep kneading it for at least 10 minutes.
Until it becomes a pliable dough.
Rub the oil all over the dough, this is to avoid dough from drying out.
Cover and rest it for half an hour.

In a deep pan add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat.
Add mustard seeds and allow to crackle.
Add chana dal and fry until light brown.
I have skipped chana dal as my family does'nt like it.
Then add chopped green chillies and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
Add onions and fry until pink.
Add turmeric powder and mix well.
Lower the heat.
Add coarsely crushed potato, salt and mix well.
Switch off the flame, add chopped coriander and mix well and keep aside.

In deep pan heat oil to fry pooris.
There should enough oil, for pooris to be immersed and fried.
From the dough, pinch a small lemon size dough, evenly roll out palm size discs.
Important it should be evenly rolled out for pooris to puff up.
Roll the rest of the dough, keep it covered until fried.
Oil should be lightly smoking when you are ready to put pooris.
Carefully drop the rolled pooris into hot oil, try to immerse down pooris in the oil gently.
When it comes up, scoop oil from sides and pour on poori.
Cook atleast for a minute on each side, until nice brown.
Cook on both sides, scooping oil and pouring on it, until it is brown.
Remove from oil, and drain the extra oil on a kitchen towel.
Serve hot pooris with palya and chutney.

Avalakki Oggaranne/Avalakki Chitranna/Plain Poha

Poha/Flattenned rice is a staple breakfast or snack in Karnataka.  Poha in karnataka is called avalakki and oggaranne means tempering/tadka.  ITs simple,poha tempered with spices.  I love both in my breakfast or as snack with tea or coffee/tea.
Having hot poha is a different bliss.
It is simple, easy and done in jiffy..but tastes awesome. You can have either plain poha like I am posting today or with veggies like onion, tomato, grated carrot, potato or green bell peppers/capsicum.
I love plain more than veggies, with lot of lemon squeezed on it.
With poha I love a hot cup of coffee/kadak adrak ki chai.
I have a weird lot of sides with poha.....like yogurt sprinkled with salt and roasted cumin powder, with ripe bananas, with spicy pickle or sprinkling lot of finely chopped onion, tomato, chaat masala, coriander,fine sev and green chillies and sometimes with mirchi bajji...are you feeling crazy listening to combinations..but dont worry..trust me try any of these..its surely tastes awesome..takes humble poha to different level.
I can say it is one of my comfort foods.
My family enjoys it too.

Ingredients:
Thick Poha/Flatenned Rice - 2 cups,
Oil - 2 tablespoon,
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon heaped,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Urad  dal/deskinned halved black gram - 2 teaspoons,
Peanuts - 1 Tablespoon,
Green Chillies - 5,
Curry Leaves - 10,
Turmeric - 1 teaspoon,
Salt,
Sugar - 1 teaspoon,
Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon,
Chopped Coriander - 1 tablespoon.

Method:
Wash poha twice in water and soak the flattened/Beaten Rice, it has to be completely immersed in water.
Check after 15 to 20 minutes of soaking, the rice would have blown up, take care not to over soak and make it much.
Drain water completely from poha by gently squeezing and keep it aside.
In a thick bottom wok heat oil.
Once oil is heated, add mustard seeds and asafoetida.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add peanuts after a minute add urad dal.
Once peanut and dal is evenly roasted/browned, add green chillies and curry leaves.
You can reduce or increase chillies according to your taste/spice.
Fry for 20 seconds and add turmeric powder and mix well.
Reduce heat and add soaked, drained poha.
Gently mix well and allow to heat up.
Add salt and sugar and mix well.
Again adding sugar gives a tinge of sweetness, balancing the spice and tangy taste in the poha.
You can as well skip if you dont want to.
Remove from heat and wait for couple of minutes, to cool a bit.
Add chopped coriander and lemon juice and mix well.
Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee/tea
Do sure try any of the above sides to go with poha.