Manudevi's Delhi Breakfast

This is the winning dish from Mumtaz Mahal's recent "Grandma's Recipes" competition. Ms. Ritu Chaturvedi has been kind enough to share it with me and allow it to be added to the blog. This is a traditional breakfast made of three main components - the bread (or Puri/poori), and the curries to dip it in - one a sweet pumpkin, and the other a tangy potato and tomato curry.

Bedmi Poori

A bread made of wheat flour and stuffed with ground white lentil. These are heavier than the regular puris (good recipe for the traditionals here).

Ingredients:

• Dough
• 3 cups flour
• 1cup Semolina
• 1tsp Chickpea flour
• 2tsp Butter
• Salt to taste

Stuffing

• 3/4cup White lentil (Urad Dhal)
• 1/4cup yellow lentil(Moong Dhal)
• 1/2 tsp Asafoetida
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp fennel seed
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp Red chili powder
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1tbsp grated ginger
• Pinch of baking powder

Method

1. Mix all the dough ingredients with the help of water and bind semi soft dough. Cover it.
2. Leave it to rest for 30minutes
3. Soak lentils about 1hrs, wash & rinse.
4. Grind the lentils into a coarse paste. Add all the stuffing ingredients & mix well.
5. Heat a nonstick pan. Add 1tbsp. cooking oil & lentil paste. Cook till it becomes a lump and is not sticky. Cover it & keep aside for 10 minutes to cool.
6. To make each puri, Make a small ball of dough and flatten it with hands. Place the stuffing ball and close this and remake the ball. Flatten it and roll it thick.
7. Deep fry on slow to medium flame. Cook from both sides light brown & remove.

Potato Curry

Ingredients

• 2 medium size potatoes boiled & peeled
• 1 medium size tomato, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 1/2 tbsp yogurt
• 1inch ginger grated
• 1medium size green chili
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder
• 1tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin seed
• Pinch of asafoetida
• Pinch of clove powder
• 1tbsp. ghee
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander chopped for garnish

Method

1. Heat a pan add ghee & cumin seed, when it starts crackling add all dry powder and chopped tomatoes, stir.
2. Add tomato puree & yogurt. Mix it well, then add roughly mashed potatoes, chopped green chili and grated ginger.
3. Add 2/12 cup water & salt. Boil it 7-8 minutes & garnish it with green coriander.

Pumpkin Curry

Ingredients

• 400g yellow pumpkin, cubed & boiled
• 1 medium size raw mango chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger chopped
• 1 green chili chopped
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• Salt according to taste
• 1tsp. oil
• ½ tsp. each fenugreek seed, fennel & mustard seed
• ½ tsp. each – turmeric powder, coriander powder & red chili powder.
• Fresh coriander for garnish

Method

1. Heat oil in the pan & add fenugreek seed, fennel & mustard seed, when it’s crackling add all dry powders.
2. Add raw mango & green chili & ginger. Mix it & add boiled pumpkin, add salt & sugar.
3. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.