If you love spicy, and tangy Indian flavors, this Achari Aloo Gobi with Ajwain Poori is a combination you definitely need to try.
The Aloo Gobi is made with crispy fried potatoes and cauliflower, tossed in a freshly roasted Achari Masala made with whole spices. The result is a wonderfully aromatic, spicy, and tangy sabzi with a delicious rustic flavor.
To make the meal even more special, it is served with Ajwain Poori soft, flavorful, and perfectly puffed pooris seasoned with carom seeds, Kasoori methi, and red chili flakes.
This combination is not only perfect for a family meal but is also excellent for travel. You can pack the sabzi and pooris for a train journey, picnic, or road trip and enjoy a delicious homemade meal on the go.
So, let’s get started!
For Achari Aloo Gobi
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into pieces
- 200 g cauliflower, cut into large florets
- Mustard oil, for frying
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- ½ black cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 2 dried red chilies
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Deghi red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi
- 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander leaves
For the Achari Masala
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
For Ajwain Poori
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Water, as required
- Oil, for deep frying
Step 1: Prepare the Achari Masala
- Start by preparing the freshly roasted Achari Masala.
- Heat a pan over low to medium heat and add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, yellow mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, carom seeds, and black peppercorns.
- Dry roast the spices for about 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Be careful not to over-roast them. The spices only need to become lightly toasted and fragrant. Once you can smell their beautiful aroma, turn off the heat.
- Transfer the roasted spices to a mixer grinder and grind them into a coarse powder.
- Our homemade Achari Masala is ready. Set it aside.
Step 2: Fry the Potatoes and Cauliflower
- Heat mustard oil in a deep pan or kadai.
- Once the oil is hot, add the 2 medium-sized potatoes.
- Fry the potatoes until they are lightly golden and crispy on the outside. Once cooked, remove them from the oil and set them aside.
- Next, add the large cauliflower florets to the same oil.
- Fry the cauliflower until it becomes lightly golden and develops a little crispness.
- Frying the potatoes and cauliflower first gives this dish a wonderfully rustic, traditional flavor and improves the overall texture of the sabzi.
- Remove the fried cauliflower and keep it aside.
- Now remove the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 2–3 tablespoons of oil for preparing the sabzi.
Step 3: Prepare the Masala
- Heat the remaining oil and add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 cloves, ½ black cardamom, 1 bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon asafoetida, 2 dried red chilies.
- Sauté the spices until they become fragrant and release their aroma into the oil.
- Add the finely chopped green chilies and ½ teaspoon chopped ginger.
- Add a few curry leaves, followed by the finely chopped tomatoes.
- Cook the tomatoes until they become slightly soft. There is no need to cook them until completely mushy; they just need to soften and blend nicely with the spices.
Step 4: Add the Achari Spices
- Once the tomatoes have softened, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon Deghi red chili powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.
- Now add the freshly prepared Achari Masala.
- This freshly roasted spice blend is what gives the sabzi its distinctive tangy, spicy, and aromatic achari flavor.
- Add ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi and mix everything well.
- Cook the masala over low heat until it becomes fragrant and well combined.
Step 5: Add the Fried Aloo and Gobi
- Add the fried potatoes and cauliflower to the prepared masala.
- Now add 1 teaspoon amchur powder, Salt, to taste, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ¼ cup water.
- The small amount of water helps prevent the masala from sticking or burning and allows it to coat the potatoes and cauliflower beautifully.
- Gently mix everything together so that the fried vegetables are evenly coated with the masala.
- Since the potatoes and cauliflower have already been fried, they do not need much additional cooking.
- Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 3–4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and finish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
- Our spicy, tangy, aromatic Achari Aloo Gobi is ready!
- Transfer it to a serving bowl and set aside while you prepare the pooris.
Step 6: Prepare the Ajwain Poori Dough
- Take a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi, ¼ teaspoon ajwain, ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes, 2 tablespoons oil.
- For extra flavor, you can use some of the oil left from frying the potatoes and cauliflower, as this oil has already absorbed the wonderful flavors of the spices.
- Gradually add water and knead everything together to form a dough.
- The dough should be neither too soft nor too firm. It should be firm enough to roll easily and hold its shape while frying.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 10–15 minutes.
Step 7: Roll and Fry the Pooris
- After resting the dough, divide it into equal portions and shape each portion into a small ball.
- Lightly grease your rolling surface with oil and place one dough ball on it.
- Roll it out into a poori, keeping it slightly thick. Do not roll the pooris too thin, as slightly thicker pooris puff up beautifully while frying.
- You can roll all the pooris beforehand and keep them ready for frying.
- Heat oil in a deep kadai or pan.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully slide one poori into the oil.
- Deep-fry until it puffs up and becomes lightly golden. Turn it over and fry the other side until evenly cooked.
- Remove the poori and place it on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Serve the hot Achari Aloo Gobi with freshly fried Ajwain Pooris.
For an extra burst of freshness and flavor, serve the meal with coriander-mint chutney on the side.
The spicy, tangy Aloo Gobi pairs beautifully with the warm, flavorful pooris.
This combination is also a wonderful option for travel or a train journey. Once cooled appropriately, the sabzi and pooris can be packed and carried for a satisfying homemade meal during your journey.
- Do not over-roast the Achari Masala. Roast the whole spices only until they become fragrant. Over-roasting can make them bitter.
- Grind the Achari Masala coarsely rather than into a very fine powder. This gives the sabzi a lovely texture and rustic flavor.
- Fry the potatoes and cauliflower first. This adds a delicious roasted flavor and helps the vegetables hold their shape in the masala.
- Keep the cauliflower pieces fairly large so they do not break apart while frying and cooking.
- Use only 2–3 tablespoons of oil after frying the vegetables to prepare the masala.
- Do not overcook the tomatoes. They only need to soften and blend with the spices.
- Add only a little water to the sabzi. The purpose is to help the masala cook and coat the vegetables rather than create a thin gravy.
- Do not overcook the fried potatoes and cauliflower after adding them to the masala. A few minutes is enough.
- Keep the poori dough medium-firm. A dough that is too soft can make the pooris absorb more oil.
- Roll the pooris slightly thick for better puffing.
- Make sure the frying oil is properly hot before adding the pooris. This helps them puff nicely and prevents them from becoming oily.
Achari Aloo Gobi with Ajwain Poori | ट्रैवल के लिए परफेक्ट अचारी आलू गोभी और पूरी रेसिपी
Ingredients
For Achari Aloo Gobi
- 2 medium potatoes cut into pieces
- 200 g cauliflower cut into large florets
- Mustard oil for frying
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- ½ tsp chopped ginger
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- ½ black cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp asafoetida hing
- 2 dried red chilies
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp Deghi red chili powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp Kasoori methi
- 1 tsp dry mango powder amchur
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
For Achari Masala
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp carom seeds ajwain
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns
For Ajwain Poori
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp Kasoori methi
- ¼ tsp carom seeds ajwain
- ⅛ tsp red chili flakes
- 2 tbsp oil
- Water as required
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Make the Achari Masala
- Add coriander seeds - 2 tsp , cumin seeds - 1 tsp, yellow mustard seeds - 1 tsp, fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp , fennel seeds - 1 tsp, ajwain - 1/2 tsp, and 1/4 tsp black peppercorns to a pan.
- Dry roast over low to medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Do not over-roast.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the spices to a mixer grinder.
- Grind to a coarse powder. Set aside.
Fry the potatoes and cauliflower
- Heat mustard oil in a kadai.
- Add the 2 medium potatoes and fry until lightly golden and crispy.
- Remove and set aside.
- Add the large cauliflower florets to the same oil.
- Fry until lightly golden, then remove and set aside.
- Remove the excess oil from the kadai, leaving approximately 2–3 tbsp oil for the sabzi.
Make the achari aloo gobi
- Heat the remaining oil and add cumin seeds - 1 tsp, 2 cloves, 1/2 black cardamom, 1 bay leaf, hing - 1/4 tsp, and dried red chilies - 2.
- Sauté until fragrant.
- Add 2 chopped green chilies, ginger - 1/2 tsp, and curry leaves.
- Add the 2 chopped tomatoes and cook until slightly softened.
- Add turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp, coriander powder - 1 tsp , Deghi red chili powder - 1/2 tsp, and Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp.
- Add the freshly prepared Achari Masala and Kasoori methi.
- Cook the masala over low heat until aromatic.
- Add the fried potatoes and cauliflower.
- Add amchur powder - 1 tsp , salt, garam masala - 1/4 tsp and ¼ cup water.
- Mix gently so the masala coats the vegetables.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 3–4 minutes.
- Finish with fresh coriander leaves.
Make the ajwain poori
- Combine whole wheat flour - 1 cup, all purpose flour - 1 cup, salt, Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp, ajwain - 1/4 tsp, red chili flakes, and oil in a bowl.
- Gradually add water and knead into a medium-firm dough.
- Cover and let the dough rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into small balls.
- Roll each ball into a slightly thick poori.
- Heat oil in a deep kadai.
- Deep-fry the pooris one at a time until puffed and lightly golden on both sides.
- Remove and drain on a plate.
- Serve hot Achari Aloo Gobi with freshly fried Ajwain Poori. For extra flavor, serve with fresh coriander mint chutney.
Video
Notes
- Roast the Achari Masala only until fragrant; over-roasting can affect its flavor.
- Keep the cauliflower pieces fairly large so they hold their shape while frying.
- Frying the potatoes and cauliflower first gives the sabzi a delicious rustic flavor.
- The poori dough should be neither too soft nor too firm.
- Roll the pooris slightly thick so they puff nicely while frying.
- Some of the flavorful oil used for frying the potatoes and cauliflower can be used in the poori dough.
- Adjust the chilies and chili powders according to your preferred spice level.
Yes, but frying the potatoes and cauliflower first gives the dish its traditional rustic flavor and a slightly crisp texture. For the best results, follow the original method and fry them before adding them to the masala.
Yes. The Achari Masala can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. Grind the roasted spices coarsely and keep them ready to use whenever you want to make the sabzi.
Yes. You can use regular red chili powder, but the amount can be adjusted according to your preferred level of spiciness.
Frying the vegetables first gives them a delicious roasted flavor and helps them retain their texture when they are later cooked with the masala.
Yes. The recipe uses some of the oil in which the potatoes and cauliflower were fried while preparing the poori dough. This oil has absorbed the flavors of the spices and adds extra flavor to the pooris.
The dough should be neither too soft nor too firm. It should be firm enough to roll easily and should hold its shape while frying.
Slightly thicker pooris puff up nicely while frying and give you soft, fluffy, and flavorful pooris.
The dough should rest for about 10–15 minutes before you divide it into portions and roll the pooris.
Yes. This combination is specifically suitable for carrying during a journey, including a train journey. The sabzi and pooris can be packed once prepared and cooled appropriately.
This combination can be served with fresh coriander-mint chutney. The chutney adds a fresh flavor that pairs especially well with the spicy and tangy sabzi.
Yes. You can adjust the amount of green chilies, Deghi red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and red chili flakes according to your taste.
The distinctive achari flavor comes from the freshly roasted spice blend made with coriander seeds, cumin seeds, yellow mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, ajwain, and black peppercorns.
