Vratwale Aloo Puri | Navratri Vrat Recipes

Vrat Ke Aloo Puri is popular recipe during fasting other than sabudana khichdi.  Puri generally made with Singara (Water Chestnut) or Kuttu (buckwheat) flour, as these two flours are eligible to eat during fasting.   Looks wise these puri may not score point as they are dark in color and not really appealing to eyes but it taste delicious.  Potato is added to make the dough as it’s difficult to make dough only of singhara or kuttu atta, not only during fasting but try this any day for a change from usual poori.  


Vratwale Aloo is simple potato stir fry without onion, garlic etc.  In this recipe we need lots of cumin which bring wonderful flavor to the dish along with crushed coriander seeds which takes this simple aloo sabji to new level.  Try this once and you will make this again and again, this recipe is very good for party or get-together as it’s very quick and simple but taste very good.  I generally do this every now and then not only for fasting.   This Alu sabzi is good combo with plain paratha for lunch box, which we used to have. 

Recipe for Vratwale Aloo

Ingredients:

Boiled Potato – 4  [large]
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds/Dhaniya – 1 tbsp
Roasted Cumin Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Dry Mango Powder/Amchur – 2 tsp [or lemon juice 1 tbsp]
Water – 1-2 tbsp
Sendha Namak/Rock Salt - To taste

Method:

1. Boil, peel and chop potatoes. 
2. Dry roast coriander seeds and crust it in  mortar and pestle or mixer.


3. In a pan or wok heat oil and ghee, add cumin seeds and allow it to crack, now add crushed coriander seeds and mix.  Now add chopped potatoes and sauté for 2 minutes.


4. Add chili powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder, salt and mix everything well.

5. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsp water and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve warm with singhara or kutu puri.

Recipe for Singhara Ki Puri

Ingredients:

Singhara Atta/Water Chestnut Flour – 1 Cup/100gms
Boiled Potato – 2 [medium size]
Green Chili Paste – 1 tsp
Sendha Namak – To Taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Water – As needed
Oil - To Deep Fry

Method:

1. Boil, peel and mash potatoes.
2. In a bowl add singhara flour, mashed potatoes, green chili paste, sendha namak,  1 tbsp oil &  mix everything.  Add water in small quantity and make a soft pitiable dough just like we do for poori and keep aside for 15 minutes.
~ Be careful with water as we are using potato, add only in small quantity


3. Divide the dough in equal parts and roll in to medium size puri.
There are 2 ways of doing it.
~ You can grease a ziplock bag or plastic sheet with oil and pat dough with hand to make poori.  Keep a bowl of water near and dip hands in intervals, it helps in patting easily.

~ Or, grease a plastic sheet/ziplock bag keep the dough keep another greased plastic sheet on top and now roll  gently using roller, remove top sheet and use a cookie cuter or any small bowl/katori to cut the puri into round shape, though cutting is optional if you have made decent round puri.  This process takes little time so I generally don’t cut but just directly roll the puri between sheets and fry. 

4. Heat oil in a wok, gently lift the puri from sheet and drop in hot oil. Gently press puri with laddle to puff it up.  Fry both sides until light golden brown.


Repeat same for rest. 


Serve hot with aloo sabji or aloo raita.  A fruit salad on side makes it a complete meal. 


 Variations ~

For Aloo Sabji
~ Replace red chili powder with 1/2 tsp of pepper powder if you don’t eat chili powder during fast and dry mango powder with lemon juice. 
~ Ghee enhance the taste so try not to skip it but you can replace it with oil.
For Singhara Puri
~ In dough you can add 1/2 tsp pepper powder and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro for extra flavor. 
~ You can do same puri with Kutu Atta/Buckwheat flour.
~ You can also make this as paratha instead of poori.
~ Prepare the dough only when you are ready to fry puris, other wise salt and potato will ooze water and make the dough soggy. 
~ If you are making this in large quantity, you can prepare the dough in small portions and fry puri to be on safer side, generally I don’t do that, I just make the dough one time.
~ All your puris may not puff, it’s normal so don’t worry about that 

Have a nice day ~~