Poori masala recipe

Ingredients

• 4potatoes
• 3onions
• 4green chillies
• 1 tbspchopped ginger
• 1/2carrot, finely chopped
• 1/4 tspturmeric
• to tastesalt
• 1/4 tspsugar
• 720 ml (3 cups)water
• 1 tsp (optional)cornflour
• 1 tbspoil
• 1/2 tspmustard seeds
• 1 tspurad dal
• 1 tbspchana dal
• 1 sprigcurry leaves

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the potatoes

   Wash the potatoes, cut each into four pieces and pressure-cook with a little water for 3 whistles.

2. 2

   Break them up

   Let the potatoes cool, then peel them and break them into rough pieces. Avoid mashing them completely.

3. 3

   Temper the spices

   Heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves to temper.

4. 4

   Fry the onions

   Add the green chillies, ginger and thinly sliced onion, cut lengthways. Fry until the onion is transparent, taking care not to brown or burn it.

5. 5

   Cook the carrot

   Add the chopped carrot and fry for 1 minute over a medium heat.

6. 6

   Bring to a boil

   Pour in 720 ml water and add the turmeric, salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to the boil.

7. 7

   Add the potatoes

   Stir in the roughly mashed potatoes. Mash one or two pieces fully in the pan if you want to help thicken the masala.

8. 8

   Simmer until thick

   Boil over a medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the masala has thickened.

9. 9

   Thicken if needed

   For a more even, uniform thickness, stir in the optional cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water towards the end of cooking.

What is poori masala?

Poori masala is a South Indian potato curry commonly served alongside poori, a deep-fried bread. Its familiar combination of potatoes, onions, chillies and curry leaves also makes it a popular pairing for dosa.

This version gets its character from a simple tempering of mustard seeds and lentils, while partly broken potatoes give the sauce body without losing all their texture.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 238 calories, 6g protein, 45g carbs, 5g fat.

Potatoes provide most of the carbohydrates, while the oil contributes most of the fat; the lentils add a little protein. Serve a moderate portion with poori or dosa and add vegetables or salad to balance the plate.

Build the flavour with the tempering

Mustard seeds: add them to the hot oil with the urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves, as directed, to start the dish with a savoury, aromatic base.

Onions and chillies: fry these with the ginger only until the onion turns transparent. Keeping the onion pale preserves the gentle flavour intended for this masala.

Keep some potato pieces intact

Roughly broken potatoes give each serving a mixture of soft pieces and thicker sauce. If the curry seems thin, mash one or two pieces into the liquid rather than crushing all the potatoes.

For a smoother, more uniform consistency, the optional cornflour slurry can be stirred in near the end.

Look for the right consistency

After the 10-minute boil, the masala should be thicker than it was when the potatoes went in, with the onion and carrot distributed through the sauce. The potato pieces should remain tender and visible.

If using cornflour, dissolve it in 2 tbsp water before adding it so it can blend into the masala. Stir it in towards the end as specified.

Serve it with poori or dosa

Poori is the classic partner: serve the masala warm so it can be spooned into or alongside the bread. Dosa is another suggested match and works well with the soft potato curry.

For a fuller plate, add a portion of vegetables or a fresh salad alongside the bread and masala.

Plan the cooking sequence

Potatoes first: pressure-cook them, then cool and peel before starting the curry. This lets you add them as soon as the onion, carrot and spiced liquid are ready.

Finish in the pan: the curry simmers for 10 minutes after the potatoes are added, with the optional slurry stirred in towards the end if desired.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the onions lengthways and keep them thin so they soften evenly.
• Fry the onion mixture only until transparent; avoid letting it brown.
• Leave some potato pieces chunky for a more varied texture.
• Mash one or two potato pieces into the curry if it needs extra body.
• Dissolve the optional cornflour in water before stirring it into the pan.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: use fewer green chillies for a milder masala.
• Leave out the cornflour: rely on a few mashed potato pieces to thicken the sauce.
• Make it smoother: mash more of the cooked potatoes into the curry.
• Add more carrot: increase the finely chopped carrot for extra vegetable texture.
• Serve with dosa: use dosa instead of poori for the same potato masala.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Over-mashing the potatoes: keep most pieces rough so the finished curry has texture.
• Browning the onions: fry just until transparent to keep their flavour gentle.
• Adding cornflour dry: dissolve it in 2 tbsp water first to help it mix evenly.
• Skipping the simmer: boil for the full 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
• Adding all the potato as a smooth mash: reserve most of it in pieces and mash only one or two to thicken.

How to store

Cool leftovers and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan, adding a splash of water if the masala has thickened in the fridge.

Frequently asked questions