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Shilpa

Instant Pot Puri Aloo (Potato)

This recipe will take you right back home to your mom's cooking. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and appetizing, these potatoes are perfect for Sunday brunch.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Potatoes
  • 4 tbsp oil of choice
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds     (jeera)
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds  (methi seeds)
  • 1 onion medium (1 to 1/4 cup chopped finely)
  • 15 curry leaves
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste   (freshly minced or packaged)
  • 3 Serrano peppers, small (hari mirch, finely chopped) (optional)
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric    (haldi)
  • 1 and 1/4 tsp ground cumin     (jeera powder)
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander     (dhaniya powder)
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tomato finely chopped (1 cup chopped)
  • 8 yukon gold potatoes, small to medium, 2 pounds (5 cups cubed to no larger than 1.5 inch cubes)
  • 1 and 1/2 cup water (divided)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Puri's
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp carom seeds   (ajwain)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water
  • 2 cups oil of choice (for frying the puri's)
  • 2 tbsp oil of choice (optional for rolling the puri's)

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Rolling Pin

Method
 

For the potatoes
  1. Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add oil to the pot.
  2. When the oil is hot add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.
  3. When the cumin seeds splutter, add the diced onions, curry leaves, and ginger garlic paste. Stir occasionally to prevent the onions from burning.
  4. When the onions turn golden in roughly 2 to 4 minutes, add the diced Serrano peppers.
  5. Then add Kashmiri chili ground turmeric, ground cumin,  ground coriander and 1/4 cup water. Give it a good stir.
  6. Add salt, and give it a good stir. 
  7. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Let it saute for about 1 to 2 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring gently.
  8. Add potatoes, 1 and 1/4 cup water and give it a good stir. Select cancel.
  9. Put the lid on and select manual/high pressure for 5 minutes. When done quick release the pressure. Crush some potatoes with the back of the spoon to make it mushy and garnish with cilantro. These potatoes are meant to have some curry and are not dry. Transfer in a serving bowl.
For the Puri's
  1. Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt and carom seeds. Add water gradually. Lightly dust your hand with flour and knead with your hands until well combined. Gradually keep adding water until you run out of water. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth and easy to handle.
  2. Then make balls from the dough and roll the dough with a rolling pin into small circular puri's roughly with 6 to 7 inch diameter. If you are having trouble rolling them use gently put some oil on the ball with your fingers and roll them out. I typically keep 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl and use some to roll out the puri's. Roll out all the dough to make puri's.
  3. When ready to fry the puris, add 2 cups of oil in a wok. Heat the oil on high-heat. Test the oil by adding a little piece of dough. It should rise up right away. If it does that then your oil is ready.
  4. Gradually cook the puris in the oil. They should puff up and turn brown.

Notes

  • If you cannot tolerate heat, I would recommend eliminating the Serrano peppers. 
  • On a scale of 1 to 5, I would place this recipe at 3.5 in terms of heat. You can reduce or eliminate the Serrano peppers accordingly.