Aloo Bhujia (Halwa Puri Aloo)
آلو کی بھجیا (حلوہ پوری والے آلو)
Order halwa puri in Karachi or Lahore and alongside the chanay you'll often get a small bowl of yellow potatoes, soft and loose, speckled with mustard seeds and curry leaves. That's aloo bhujia. It is quick, mild and tangy, a counterpoint to the rich chanay and sweet suji halwa, and it takes less than half an hour if the potatoes are boiled the night before.
- ⏱ Total: 30 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Break the boiled potatoes roughly with your hands into uneven, bite-sized pieces. Some crumbs are good: they thicken the gravy.
Heat the oil in a over medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds; when the mustard starts to pop, add the curry leaves and whole red chilies and fry for 20 seconds.
Add the tomato, turmeric, crushed chilies and salt and cook for 3–4 minutes until the tomato softens.
Add the potatoes and the hot water. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, pressing a few pieces with the spoon, until the gravy is loose but slightly thickened.
Stir in the lemon juice and green chilies, scatter over the coriander and serve with puri, chanay and halwa.
Kitchen notes
Boil the potatoes the night before and keep them in the fridge. Cold potatoes break into neater pieces.
Curry leaves are what make it taste like the halwa puri shop. Fresh ones are best; frozen ones work too.
For a drier bhujia to eat with paratha, use only half a cup of water.
The third bowl of halwa puri
A full halwa puri breakfast has puri, suji halwa, chanay and, in many shops, this: a loose, bright yellow potato curry. It’s the lightest thing on the plate, and its tang and soft texture balance the richness of everything else. Our guide to a halwa puri breakfast at home shows how to make all of it together.
A quick tarka-style curry
Aloo bhujia is built on a tempering of seeds and leaves in hot oil, a technique closely related to the : cumin and mustard seeds first, then curry leaves and whole red chilies. These give it its distinctive aroma. Tomato, turmeric and crushed red chilies follow, and then the boiled potatoes go in with water.
Break the potatoes by hand rather than cutting them. The rough edges and crumbs dissolve into the water and give the gravy just enough body without any flour or cream.
Make-ahead tips
Boil the potatoes the night before. In the morning the bhujia takes 20 minutes, which leaves the stove free for frying puris.
Serving
Serve hot, with puri, chanay, halwa and achar. It’s also good with paratha or rolled into a roti for a lunchbox.
Questions people ask
Can I make it without curry leaves?
Yes. It will still be good, just less aromatic. Add a pinch of kalonji (nigella seeds) with the cumin instead.
Why is it called bhujia when it has gravy?
Names vary between cities. In many places bhujia means a dry potato dish, but the halwa puri shops of Karachi and Lahore serve this loose, gravy version under the same name.
How long does it keep?
Two days in the fridge. Add a splash of water when reheating, as the potatoes absorb the gravy.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 210
- Protein
- 4 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
