4. Poori, Pitla and Tomato Shorva

Poori, Pitla and Tomato Shorva

Every Saturday morning, it is always, Pooris for Breakfast, Honey? To go with the pooris, it is either tomato shorva or chicken shorva. A few weeks ago, I was on phone with my sister-in-law.  We talked about my blog and then she asked what we had for lunch. When I told her what we had for brunch, she was curious if i would put that in my blog.  I said, I might and then she suggested pooris & pitla.  She suggested doing a combination like poori and pitla.  The only problem was, I never made pitla before, although I had an idea how it is prepared.   When growing up it was always potato and poori or shorva and poori combination and now it is always shorva and poori.  I searched for pitla recipes online, but did not find what I was looking for.  So, I called up one of our aunt’s cook in India and got the recipe from him.  I made it for brunch this past Saturday.

Poori, Pitla and Tomato Shorva

Poori

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 15

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Wheat flour or Atta Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Oil for deep frying
puffed poori
Puffed Poori
Method:
  • Mix salt and flour and make a dough using some water. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before rolling out the pooris. Meantime, we can prepare the curry for the pooris.
  • Make small balls from the dough and using some flour or oil, roll the small dough balls into a circle. During my last visit to India, my mom had a new method to make pooris. She rolled the dough into a big circle like a roti and cut it into 4 quarters. She says this method is faster.
  • Deep fry the poories in hot oil. Make sure oil is very hot to avoid oily pooris. Remove from oil and drain the pooris on a paper towel.
  • Serve hot with pitla, tomato shorva or chicken shorva.
poori
Not puffy any more...

Pitla
Pitla is a potato and onion curry made with a gram flour or besan base.

pitla
Pitla - Flour based onion potato curry

Total Time:20 Minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Urad Dal
  • ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
  • ½ Jeera
  • 5 Green Chilies chopped
  • 1 Big Onion sliced and diced or 2 cups of cut Onions
  • 1 Potato cut in to small pieces or 1 cup cut Potato pieces
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 2 tbsp Gram Flour or Besan
  • ¼ cup Milk (opt)
  • Salt to Taste
  • Cilantro for garnish
Pitla
Pitla
Method:
  • In a pan heat oil. Add mustard, urad dal and jeera. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add onion and fry until translucent. Add potatoes and turmeric powder and cook until potatoes are ¾th cooked. Add a little water if the curry is burning.
  • Mix besan with some water or milk. Add this mixture to the potaoes and stir well. Add 2 cups of water, cover the pan and cook until potatoes completely cooked and very soft and mushy.
  • Continue to cook the pitla until the liquid or the sauce thickly coats the spoon.
  • Garnish with Cilantro.

Tomato Shorva

Tomato shorva, Tomato curry
Tomato Shorva with Lima Beans and Boiled Eggs

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 tbsp Oil
  • ¼ tsp Fenugreek or Methi Powder (opt)
  • 2 Cardamoms (opt)
  • 1 Clove (opt)
  • ½ tsp Saha Jeera (opt)
  • ¼ “ Cinnamon Stick (opt)
  • ½ Small Onion chopped
  • 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 4 Green Chilies split into 2 (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 3 Boiled Eggs (opt)
  • ¼ cup Frozen Lima Beans (opt)
  • 3 Medium Tomatoes Sliced (I use Vine tomatoes)
  • 1 tbsp Milk or Yogurt
  • Cilantro for Garnish
Method:
  • Boil the eggs, peal and make small cuts on the eggs ot pierce them with a fork.
  • In a pan heat oil, add methi powder and whole garam masala (cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, saha jeera) if using.
  • Add oinions and cook until they are translucent.
  • Add ginger garlic paste and green chilies and cook for a minute, until chilies change color and ginger garlic paste is roasted.
  • Add coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir well.
  • Add boiled eggs and lima beans and continue to cook for a minute, until the spices coat the egg.
  • Add tomatoes, stir it and cook covered until tomatoes are tender and soft. If using yogurt, mix it with tomatoes before cooking the tomatoes.
  • Add 1 – 1 ½ cups of water and mix well. If using milk, add it at this point. Mix well and bring it to a boil.
  • Simmer for 5-10 minutes and garnish with cilantro.
  • Serve with hot pooris or rice.
Note:
  • I use vine tomatoes. These tomatoes are sour, so I normally use milk. For those of you who like sour shorva, use yogurt. And also if using roma tomatoes or any other variety of tomatoes that are not sour in taste, use yogurt.
  • If shorva is very liquidy, add some coriander powder or dry coconut powder 5 minutes before removing it from the heat or flame.
  • Lima beans can be substituted with green peas. Other vegetables that can be added to the shorva are potatoes, bottle gourd or lauki.
I am sending this to Latha of Masala Magic, who is hosting this month’s WBB:Combi Breakfasts, started by Nandita of Saffron Trail.
This also goes to Curry Mela hosted by Srivalli.

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Comments

  • I loved the addition of LIma beans to tomato shorva.. But I have dried one’s and not the frozen ones, can I use them in this egg curry? Also we do make pitla with poori, its always a hit in my home…

    I never tried dry lima beans before. I don’t see why you can’t use it. You will have to soak and cook it before adding it to the shorva though….

    Reply

  • Usha…You are an awesome cook…I am in love with your food…and keep drooling over your pages for hours…

    Check out a small suprise for you in my Blog Sweetie…:-)

    Reply

  • […] List of Entries: 1. Idiyappam with Kurma by Jayasree of Kailas Kitchen 2. Pongal and Brinjal Gojju by Vani of Illatharasi 3. Pongal by SMN of Cookspot 4. Strawberry Banana Crepes by Yasmeen of HealthNut 5. Moong Beans with Greens and Mango with Sourdough Rotis by Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi 6. An Affair of Roti with Aloo by Lubna Karim of Yummy Food 7. Paneer Bhurji with Toast by Vanamala of Nalapaka 8. Roasted Vegetable Crepes with Green Pepper Coulis by Yasmeen of HealthNut 9. Akki Rotti with Tondekai-Capsicum Palya and Shenga Chutney by Alamelu of Rasagavala 10. Aloo Methi Paratha by Sia of Monsoon Spice 11. Semiya Upma by Divya of Dil Se 12. Egg Pasta Frittata by Divya of ..and a little bit more… 13. Broken Wheat Pongal, Vada with Sambar and Coconut Chutney by EasyCrafts of Simple Indian Food 14. Idli with Kosamalli by Cham of Spice-Club 15. Aloo Paratha by Bhawana of Tastes Of India 16. Pongal by Sireesha of Mom’s Recipes 17. Tomato Omelette by Sukanya of Sukanya’s Musings 18. Chole Batura by Alamelu of Rasagavala 19. Rave Dose, Chutney and Hot Coffee by Lakshmi of Tastes of Mysore 20. Vermicelli Upma with Coconut Chutney by Sangeeth of Art of cooking Indian Food 21. Egg Sandwich by Sudeshna of Here I cook 22. Garlic Greens and Breakfast by Arundathi of My Food Blog 23. Chole Bature by Lubna Karim of Yummy Food 24. Arepas by Sweatha of Tasty Curry Leaf 25. Mini Idlies with Sambar by Suma Rajesh of Suma’s Cuisine 26. Strawberry Mascarpone Crepes topped with Baked Strawberries by Meera of DindIn Tonight 27. Special Black Gram Dosa by Priya of Live To Cook 28. Poori and Vegetable Saagu by RedChillies of RedChillies 29. Vermicelli Upma by Pragyan of Sorisha-Cooking at Pragyan’s 30. Bombay Toast by Laavanya of Cookery Corner 31. Konkani Style Roti by Maya of Konkan World 32. Vengaya Adai by Geetha of The Fragrant Kitchen 33. Banh mi by Rashmi of Delhi Belle 34. Moong Daal Chilla by Meera of Enjoy Indian Food 35. Crumpets for Indian Breakfast by Srimathi of Few Minute Wonders 36. Mathri Chai Ke Saath by notyet100 of Asan Khana 37. Grilled Minty Ricotta Cheese Sandwich by notyet100 of Asan Khana 38. Poori with Masala Aloo by notyet100 of Asan Khana 39. Instant Wheat Dosa with Tomato Gojju by notyet100 of Asan Khana 40. Minty Ricotta Cheese Parantha with Curd and Chutney by notyet100 of Asan Khana 41. Tofu in Tandoori Masala with Naan by notyet100 of Asan Khana 42. Minty Ricotta Cheese Curry with Potato Curry 43. Idli Sambar by Pavani of Food lovers 44. Avial with Pesarat by Lavi of Home Cook’s Recipe’s 45. Carrot Alfa Alfa Sandwich by Nandita of Saffron Trail 46. Vellayaappam and Mixed Vegetable Stew by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen 47. Idiyappam with Vegetable Kurma by Divya of Easy Cooking 48. Masala Dosa by Anjuman Sona of Cheers to Easy Cooking 49. Stuffed Peas Poori by Srivalli of Cooking For All Seasons 50. Mixed Veggie Paratha by Dershana of The Footloose Chef 51. Tomato Peas Upma by Priti of Indian Khana 52. Whole Wheat Biscuits with Apple Butter by Yasmeen of Health Nut 53. Medhu Vada with Green Chutney by Indy of Adhi Potoba 54. Masala Dosa by Lubna Karim of Yummy Food 55. Idli Vade Sambar by Lakshmi of Taste Of Mysore 56. Puri and Aloo Matar by Sweath of Tasty Curry Leaf 57. Capsicum Paratha by Viji of VCuisine 58. Zucchini and Spinach Vermicelli Upma by Vidya of Delectable Vegetarian Recipes 59. Palak Paratha by Supriya of Queen of My Kitchen 60. Poori, Pitla and Tomato Shorva by Usha of My Spicy Kitchen […]

    Reply

  • @Usha:

    I should Thank you so much……… 🙂

    Bharat love pitla a lotttttt… Yesterday i wanted to cook that.. bcos i stopped cooking at my home from ages… we are just eating out or some instant food :P…

    So… Ninna Google lo serach cheyagane first me blog ee vachindi… I made the pitla .. it turned out awesome :)….

    A special thanks was conveyed to you by Bharat tooo…

    Reply

    • I am glad it came out well and you two liked it. Thanks for letting me! It is always encouraging to see such comments and get positive feedback.

      Reply

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