Poori with Moong

This is my entry for Poori-party originated by Anita of A Mad Tea party.

It was really impossible for me to post anything this week due to my son's summer class schedule.

But when I saw my all fellow blogger so heavily inclined on making pooris. I thought I can post something with ease, as pooris are not big deal for me. Thanks to my Mom. She started teaching me how to make pooris when I was 10 yrs old. Though sometimes I do get flat pancakey pooris. But still I manage to have 99% puffed pooris.

Soft or hard dough and adding semolina is pure preference thing, but the temperature at which you fry the pooris is of utmost importance. The oil should be heated till smoking hot and then again bringing it down to a temperature where pooris puff but doesn't get burned. If the oil is not hot enough, chances are the pooris won't puff.

So here it is the Jain Gujarati breakfast " Pooris with Moong"

For the pooris:

1 cup whole wheat flour
salt to taste

1 tsp oil

water for kneading the dough

oil for frying

adding semolina to flour again is your own choice

I did not add semolina to the flour

Make a dough of your preferred consistency by mixing flour, salt, 1 tsp oil and water.

Leave it aside for 15 minutes.
Now make small balls out of the dough and roll them in small poori shape.
Heat oil and fry the pooris till they are light golden brown.

For the Moong:

1 cup whole moong (green gram, mung beans) soaked in water for 2 hours

salt to taste

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

hing a pinch

1/4 tsp haldi

1/2 tsp dhania jeera powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp oil

Pressure cook whole moong with salt in pressure cooker. (about 3-4 whistles).

Now heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, once it pops add hing and haldi powder, and then add the pressure cooked moong and little water, then add dhania jeera powder and chili powder.

Simmer till everything is mixed well, adjust salt and seasonings, add water if the moong is too dry. Squeeze some lemon juice on moong and serve hot with pooris.

Mooli-Mangodi Chaat

Did I ever tell you that I love chaat and all kinds of chaat. It's like a complete meal in itself. It has every taste to bring your taste buds alive and the crunch, the color, what is not to like about chaat?

Here is my version of chaat:

Well I was referred to this pakodis as Mangodis and hence the Mangodi chaat. But truly mangodis are moong dal wadis (sun dried) and are mixed and cooked with different veggies.

So now let's call this chaat Mooli Pakoodi chaat!

For the pakodis:

1 cup moong dal (soaked for 2-3 hours)

4 green chillies

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Salt to taste

a pinch of baking soda

Oil for frying

For the chaat:

6 Red Radish grated ( you can use white radish too)
4 scallions chopped (green onions) you can use red or white onion too

1/2 cup tomatoes chopped

1/2 cup green pepper chopped

1 cup yogurt whisked

1/2 cup green cilantro chutney

1/2 cup tamarind chutney (Imli ki meethi chutney)

2 tbsp garlic chutney (optional)

chaat masala to taste

chili powder to taste (or you can add chopped green chilies if you like)

chopped cilantro for garnish

For the crunch I sometimes add corn or chickpeas and also boiled potatoes or kala chana and sev.

This is a very forgiving recipe you can add or omit ingredients as you like.

Drain the moong dal and grind with green chillies and cilantro without adding too much water.

I know the batter will be thick but the baking soda will make the pakodis soft and fluffy.

Heat the oil and put small amount of batter (pakodis are smaller version of pakodas) and deep fry them till they are golden brown in color. Now put the pakodis on the plate and layer the ingredients one by one as listed in order.

Serve immediately.


If you think the whole pakodis will be too big for you, you can break the pakodis into small bites and then make the chaat.

Or like true Amdawadi's just eat the hot pakodis with fried green chilies and sliced onions. Actually we eat what is called Dalwadas made from the split green gram, that is the moong dal with the skin on. It's every Amdawadi's monsoon favorite!

Pav Bhaji

I think this week it's gonna be like series of comfort food.
The other day I made this, my all time favorite PavBhaji.

Here is the recipe:

4 potatoes boiled and mashed
1 cup tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup green peas boiled
1/2 cup green beans chopped boiled
1/2 cup carrots chopped boiled
1/2 cup cauliflower florets boiled
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1 big onion chopped
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp haldi
2 tsp pavbhaji masala
1/4 cup oil or butter
salt to taste





You can boil all the vegetables together or you can boil potatoes separately and then boil the other vegetables together.

Heat the oil or butter in a pot or a broad pan and saute the onions. Once they are golden brown, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for about a minute or two. Then add the chili powder and fry for 1/2 minute. Add the tomatoes and fry till the oil floats on top. Add the chopped green pepper
and haldi. Fry for sometime. Now add the boiled vegetables and fry the bhaji for about 5 minutes and add the pavbhaji masala and salt and stir so that the masala blends with the bhaji.
Cover and simmer the bhaji for 10 minutes on low flame. Adjust the seasonings according to your taste.
Serve with chopped onions, pav ( I used hambuger buns ) and lemon wedges.