Chatpata Puri with Sookhi Chana Dal and Jeera Aloo; spicy, tangy and mildly sweet chana dal curry and a simple dry potato curry with cumin, served with puris (whole wheat deep fried Indian bread). Topped with a crunchy onion relish and spicy and pungent pounded garlic chutney; it is a complete meal in itself!
As a food blogger, you tend to spend most of your time either scouting new ideas to create new recipes, updating the blog or browsing cooking videos just for fun because you are a hardcore foodie!
On one of those video binging days, I came across a guy cooking up simple vegetarian dishes in the middle of a farm. I could hear birds chirping, water gushing in the nearby river and sometimes, I did see a stray dog walk by!
But what really fascinated me was the simplicity of his cooking using a wood-burning stove under the skies and using fresh ingredients freshly picked from the fields nearby.
One of the dishes he prepared was puris (whole wheat, unleavened deep fried Indian bread) with a thick chana masala curry and some amazingly simple potato curry. I was fascinated by the chana dal curry as I had not made any dish with chana dal to go with my rotis and parathas till date!
Inspired by his cooking, I decided to recreate his dish but in my way.
It involves making 3 simple and quick dishes:
- Puris
- Chana Dal
- Dry aloo curry
To add more oomph to the dish, he also made this amazing garlic chutney by smashing a lot of garlic with red chilli powder using a stone mortar and pestle. I found the pounding to be so therapeutic that I made my chutney the same way. The whole process of pounding was meditative and calming! If you do not have one, feel free to use the blender to make the paste but leave it coarse.
Or, make some of my homemade chili-garlic paste made easily in a blender; would taste awesome; must try this next time!
Soaking chana dal to make this semi-dry curry is optional but facilitates the cooking process and saves time. Once it is soaked, I pressure cooked it and made a curry with some simple spices and tomato. Do add some tangy element like chaat masala powder, amchur powder (dry mango powder) or even some tamarind paste.
Aloo curry is a simple and quick dry stir fry with cumin and turmeric to bring color and flavor to the dish.
Puris are easy to make with just some whole wheat flour and oil for deep frying.
A quick mix of finely chopped red onions and cilantro with a splash of lime or even lemon juice, elevates each mouthful of this dish to a heavenly crunchy bite! I prefer red onions always for Indian food and lime gives a lovely tang, more than lemon juice
Once all the components of this unusual street food like dish are ready, you can serve the chana dal curry and jeera aloo as a side dish for hot and puffy puris with a drizzle of garlic chutney and topped with the onion relish.
For a no onion-no garlic option, just omit the onion relish and garlic chutney and enjoy!
Or, you can just top each puri with the aloo, chana curry, relish and chutney, fold it like a taco and munch away; no plates or bowls needed for that! Isn't this a great idea for a picnic or party? Time to enjoy some street food at home!
We enjoyed this dish immensely and so will you. For more similar street food like dishes, try these other culinary creations from my kitchen:
Let us head on to the recipe right now!
Chatpata, tangy, spicy and lip-smacking street food like puri with sookhi chana dal and jeera aloo!
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp salt
- Oil for deep frying
- Flour for dusting or you can use oil
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
- ½ tsp hing/asafetida powder
- 1 large green chilli/jalapeno, sliced
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- Check the recipe here
- ½ cup peeled and roughly chopped garlic
- 1 tsp red chilli powder for the heat
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder for color
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup finely chopped red onions
- 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
- ½ tsp lemon/lime juice
- Wedges of lime or lemon
Instructions
- Stir salt into whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl.
- Add enough water to make a soft, smooth and pliable dough.
- Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
- Just before making puris, start heating the oil and divide the dough into small balls, about walnut sized.
- If using flour for dusting, roll balls of dough in flour lightly and flatten or roll using a rolling pin to a large round disc about 4 inches in diameter.
- If using oil, just grease your rolling pin lightly with oil, dab a little oil on top of the dough ball and then flatten or roll into discs.
- Once the oil is hot, gently slide the discs into the hot oil, taking care not to splash hot oil on yourself. To check whether the oil is hot enough, just drop a small piece of dough and if it rises instantly, it is hot enough.
- The puri dough will start to puff up and rise.
- Fry on medium high heat until golden brown and slightly crisp on both sides.
- Remove and drain on paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan and add jeera and hing. Once it starts to sizzle, tip in the sliced green chilies and turmeric powder.
- Add the chopped potatoes, salt to taste and give it a good mix.
- Cook on medium low heat, covered, stirring often in between to release the crispy browned potatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan; this is the best part of the dish!
- Once cooked and tender, garnish with chopped cilantro (optional).
- Check out the recipe here .
- Peel and chop 15 to 20 garlic cloves, and mash in mortar and pestle with salt, ½ tsp red chillipowder and 1 tsp kashrmiri chili powder to a coarse paste.
- .Add 1 to 2 tsp water and keep aside.
- Mix onions, cilantro and lemon juice in a small bowl; use clean hands if needed to marry all the flavors/textures and make a lovely juicy relish!
- Salt (optional) may be added at the last minute as adding earlier will release moisture and dilute it.
- You can serve the chatpata, spicy, tangy dish two ways:
- Make puris and serve jeera aloo and sookhi chatpata chana dal on the side with the relish and garlic chutney drizzled on top.
- Or, top each puri with a tablespoon of jeera aloo, followed by a tablespoon of chana dal. Spoon 1 tsp of onion relish along with a drizzle of garlic chutney (as much or as little as you want; take care that it can be very pungent; a little goes a long way!).
- Squeeze some lemon or lime juice over it and scoop it up in your hand; munch away!
- Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Enjoy!!
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Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!
The person you're talking about is Nikunj Vasoya right? I follow his videos. Your recipe does look interesting and i am gonna try this. Yummy looking
So simple, so delightful...
I've made in a similar combination but didn’t add Sookhi moong dal, but I love your combo - that looks so elegant!
Thanks dear Jolly! The chili-garlic paste is a kicker! Gives a spicy hue to the whole dish!
This dish looks so tempting and my favourite dish.i can have this any time of the day. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Pavani 🙂
Wow that is so delicious. My kitchen is bare today n such a delicious treat here. How I wish I can get some off the screen.
Thanks so much dear <3
Wow what an amazing combo this would be. Loved the brilliant idea, Vanitha. I'm sure it would taste heavenly and I would definitely try this the next time I make puris. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Thanks Praneetha 🙂 It does come out so awesome...now I am tempted to make it again 🙂
OMG !!! I am pretty much sure that the simple poori aloo and dal in this way is making much more lip smacking ... Awesome !!!
Absolutely dear <3 Thanks so much!
This looks so tempting, it seems to be bursting with flavours. Lovely share.
Thanks a bunch dear 🙂 🙂 It does taste so yummy and the combo with onions and garlic chutney is heavenly!!
I can totally dive into that plate right now. This is so similar to what they serve in Goa, pooris or bread with a mix of potato bhaji and chana bhaji 🙂
Oh nice to hear about a similar dish in Goa! I am sure it must taste heavenly! Thanks so much dear 🙂
When three of your favorite dishes are combined in one fantastic combo. Oh dear oh dear I am in food heaven. I am so drooling now as I read through your post and visually savour the pictures . Loved this totally.
Thanks so much dear 🙂 Even we were floored by the yummy combo! You must try this soon too! I am sure you will like it!
What a yummy combination platter. I can gobble up the while plate in a go. Love this.
Thanks a bunch dear Lata 🙂 🙂
This looks so tempting di! Just feeling like grabbing that plate right from the screen..lovely combo.
Thank you so much dear 🙂 We loved it too! Must make it again 🙂
I have come across your post at right time. I was just thinking about what to make for breakfast now. You have given me a perfect option. Amazing combo to kick start weekend.
Haha, so glad I could be of some help in deciding what to make; every home chef's dilemma! Thanks so much dear; enjoy your weekend!
OMG Vanitha di this looks so mouth watering never thought we could jazz up the simple poori aloo and dal this way, this is such a lipsmacking share will try for Sunday lunch.
Thanks so much dear 🙂 Do try this and have a great weekend!
What a lovely spread!! I may not stop with the just three pooris. Love this
Thanks so much Seema 🙂 Me too; I love puris, so more the better!!
This combo looks too good. Never tried them together. Puri ke saath khane ka mazaa kuch aur hi hai..
Absolutely Shobha 🙂 This combo of puris with sookhi dal and of course, do not miss the garlic chutney; we loved it! Thank you so much dear 🙂
Yum..... Love to eat it. Please share more posts like this. Kindly prepare a reciepie on Dominos Burger. I have to spend a lot of money for buying it online .If anyone love to eat can buy through coupon codes of Dominos burger.
Thank you 🙂 Will try to make them soon!
AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!!! THIS IS MY FAVORITE BLOG EVER!!!
Thanks so much 🙂 🙂 🙂 I so appreciate you stopping by and feel so honored that this is one of your favorite blogs!!