Poori masala – the most popular side dish for poori made with potatoes popularly known as poori bhaji or poori kizhangu in Tamil!

Check out my version of poori masala and how to serve it in multiple ways.

poori kizhangu masala served in copperware with a spoon inside placed on a gray towel

You can serve poori with kurma, chutney, and other curries, but this potato masala for poori, aka the poori curry, is quite popular, and it’s a famous combo in restaurants. Somehow chapati and kurma and poori and potato masala have become the standard or default combo.

Kizhangu is a Tamil word meaning root vegetable, and in this poori kizhangu context, it means urulai kizhangu or the potatoes. Hence the name poori kizhangu masala!

My version of poori kizhangu is not the copy-cat version of the restaurant-style masala, but it’s a versatile one for sure and kid-approved as well. Do check out the ingredient list and recipe notes for all the variations.

Different ways to serve the masala

Pair it with poori for sure. But you can use the same masala for making masala dosa, masala pav buns, and masala sandwiches. I always extra masala to use the leftovers for making sandwiches or use it as a filling for my dosa. As I make the curry slightly thick (not dry), it works well in other dishes.

Dietary Specifications

This poori masala is a vegan and nut-free curry. Use gluten-free asafoetida or skip it for a gluten-free version.

overhead shot of poori bhaji served in two copper ware bowls with cilantro as garnish

Ingredients required for poori kizhangu

For Tempering – Like any other Indian curry, we start preparing this puri masala with the tempering as well. Peanut oil or coconut oil adds a nice flavor, so I use either one. And I use mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal along with hing.

Alternatively, you can try cumin seeds or fennel seeds instead of urad dal and chana dal. The flavor will be slightly different for each, and we like all three combinations. You can choose either mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal combo or mustard seeds, cumin seeds combo, or mustard seeds and fennel seeds combo.

Green chili and ginger – I highly recommend these two for this masala. I don’t add red chili powder, so green chilies are the only source for the spice. Adjust as per your preference.

Onion – I usually use one onion, finely chopped. I have tried making this curry without onion, but I agree that the curry is more delicious. I skip the garlic, though. But you can add one or two small garlic cloves.

Potatoes – Of course, the main ingredient. I usually use the Yukon gold or the yellow potato variety. I have tried this with Russet but not with red or purple varieties.

Carrots – It’s an optional ingredient. But I like my poori masala a bit colorful, so I always add grated carrots and sometimes green peas. You can either chop the carrots finely or grate them.

Besan or chickpea flour – We prepare a slurry with chickpea flour or besan (kadalai maavu), which acts as the thickening agent. The poori masala should neither be dry nor too thin and runny. And this chickpea flour slurry helps to get that perfect consistency.

Turmeric powder: What makes poori bhaji yellow? It’s turmeric powder. I use about ½ tsp for this measure.

Curry leaves and cilantro – I use both for this masala. I add curry leaves during tempering and cilantro towards the end. If you can’t source curry leaves, please skip them.

Apart from these, we need water, salt.

Now that we have seen the ingredients let’s see how to make the poori masala with detailed step-wise pictures.

How to make poori kizhangu masala

Cook and mash the potatoes

I cooked my potatoes in Instant Pot. Wash the potatoes and place them in the steamer basket. Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and place the trivet. Then place the steamer basket with the potatoes.

adding potatoes to the steamer rack of Instant Pot

Close the Instant Pot. Make sure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Pressure cook for 5 minutes at high-pressure manual mode and release the pressure naturally. When the pressure is all released, carefully open the lid.

Let the potatoes cool and peel the skin. Mash them roughly and set them aside.

Prepare the masala/bhaji

Heat a pan or kadai and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. Let mustard seeds splutter, and then add the green chilies, curry leaves, and ginger. Saute for 30 to 45 seconds.

tempering with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal and ginger and chilies

Next, add the onions and salt. Saute till the onions are soft and tender.

Now add the grated carrots, turmeric powder, and ½ cup of water. Cook until the carrots are soft for about 3 to 4minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the chickpea flour slurry. Mix the chickpea flour with ½ cup of water. Make sure there are no lumps. When the carrots are soft, add the mashed potatoes and this slurry. Add ½ more cup of water and reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

add the mashed potatoes and besan slurry

Add ¼ to ½ more cup of water if required. I did add ¼ cup of water. Do not let the curry dry out.

Finally, add the chopped cilantro and turn off the heat. Serve it hot with poori or chapati.

Recipe Notes

Adjust the salt and green chilies according to your taste.
Carrots are optional, and you can include some green peas also.
Adjust the water as per your gravy consistency liking. But do not make it too runny.
I have provided all the tempering variations in the post. Please do check it out.
I did not include any garlic. One or two small garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped can be added.

Explore other Indian potato recipes

PS: If you try this poori masala, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.

📖 Recipe

Update Notes: Earlier posted in 2011. Now updated the recipe with recipe cards, new step-wise pictures and detailed explanation about the ingredients.

Poori Masala

Poori Masala | Poori Urulai Kizhangu Masala