Halwa Poori Nashta - Shehar Bano Rizvi

Another all time favorite of mine!! Every Sunday my dad used to get this Pakistani breakfast (which includes, Halwa, Poori , Aaloo ki Bhujia and Cholay) from a nearby restaurant. Since I have not been able to find a decent Halwa Poori here in Doha ( and trust me I have been here 12 years and tired them all!), every time we go back to Pakistan, my mother in law gets me this breakfast… my first meal every time I land in Pakistan! 

It is like a weekend ritual for most of the families in Pakistan to enjoy the lazy weekend with Halwa Poori ka Nashta! (after eating which you get much more lazier!).So when my mum was here, I ventured to make this at home! I have tried making this a couple of times before but either the poori gets crispy and hard or the cholay and halwa doesn’t taste like the restaurant one (I am pretty confident with the Aaloo ki bhujia and make it quite often). But with my mum on my side to guide me , we gave it a shot! AND I am NEVER eating any other Halwa Poori again! It was just as good like it was professionally made (in much more hygienic conditions ;).

Sooji Halwa

Serves about 5-6 persons (it totally depends on who’s eating! )

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Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Semolina (Sooji)
• 2 Cup Sugar
• 3 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Oil/Ghee
• 4 Crushed Small Cardamoms (Chotee Illaichi)
• 1/8 tsp. Food Color
• 1 Drop  Kewra Essence
• Almonds and Pistachios

Directions:

1. In a pan, add sugar and the (3 cups) water and the food color and cook till the sugar dissolves to make the sheera (that’s it! DONOT over cook it to make it thick.. Just to dissolve the sugar). Remove it from the stove.
2. In a seperate wok, heat oil and fry crushed cardamoms for a couple of minutes. Then add Sooji and fry till it just starts to give that aroma of sooji.(DONOT overcook it to try make it change color. It should not change color).
3. Then add the sheera (we made in step 1) to it and cook for 3-4 minutes  (Maximum of 4 minutes.. put a timer on or watch the time..do whatever but DO NOT cook for more than 4 minutes). It will be very liquid-y but do not worry about that! Trust me!
4. Remove from the heat (VERY IMPORTANT!), put kewra and cover it. Let it sit for about half an hour- the sooji will expand and it will become the right consistency(It WILL… trust me! 🙂 )
5. Garnish with nuts and enjoy the perfect ‘Halwai wala Sooji Halwa’ with the Pooris. (though you don’t get nuts in the halwai one 😉 )

The Perfect Poori

Before I even start…this is the BEST Poori recipe EVERRRRR!!!! Poori is a fried bread, which is part of the traditional breakfast Halwa Poori.

Poori

Makes about 15-18 small pooris.

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Ingredients:

• 2 Cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour (Aatta)
• 2 tbsp. Yogurt
• 2 tbsp. Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• Oil for Deep Frying

Directions:

1. Mix both the flour & salt. Add oil and yogurt and knead the dough with warm water. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for at least an hour.
2. Heat Oil in a wok on high flame. (The oil needs to be really hot otherwise the pooris will take time to cook and become hard).
3. Make a dough ball and roll it out with a few drops of oil (so it doesn’t stick). DONOT use dry flour to help you roll it out (that’s another reason for poori getting hard).
4. I use my Roti Maker (My new absolute favorite gadget in the kitchen!! It is sooo good it deserves a separate post, which will come soon.. so watch out for that!) to roll the pooris and pre-roll all of them before I start frying.
5. When the oil is hot, put the poori in and press it down a little with the skimmer spoon, and fry for a minute (both sides) and take it out. (Don’t let it turn brown – it will get crisp/hard and will not be soft).
6. The Perfect Pooris are ready! And they stay soft even if you leave them uncovered!

Aaloo Ki Bhujia

Serves 2-3 persons

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Ingredients:

• 250 gm. Potatoes (cut into small cubes)
• 1/2 tsp. Zeera (Cumin Seeds)
• 1/4 tsp. Kalonji (Nigella Seeds)
• 1/4 tsp. Meithi (Fenugreek Seeds)
• 1/4 tsp. Saunf (Fennel Seeds)
• 1/2 tsp. Red Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Haldi (Turmeric Powder)
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 3-4 Whole Dried Red Chilies
• 1 stem Karhi Patta (Curry Leaves)
• 1 tbsp. Oil
• 1 tsp. Imli Paste (Tamarind)
• 2 Green Chilies
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Coriander Leaves
• 1 tsp. Mixed Pickle (The Secret Ingredient)

Directions:

1. Fry zeera and whole red chilies in oil till it turns a little brown.
2. Add Aaloo and all the spices (kalonji, meithi, saunf, red chili powder, haldi, salt and karhi patta) and fry for a few more minutes. Then add  about 1 cup water and let it cook covered on low heat.
3. When the potatoes are soft, mash a little, add imli paste and the pickle and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves and green chilies.
5. Enjoy!

Cholay

Cholay

Serves 4-5 persons

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Boiled Cholay (Chick Peas)
• 2 tbsp. Oil
• 2 tbsp. Onions (Chopped)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Zeera (Cumin Seeds – Roasted and crushed)
• 1 tsp. Dhanya Seeds (Coriander Seeds – Roasted and crushed)
• 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Haldi
• 1/2 tsp. Ginger Paste (or Powder)
• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1 tsp. Mixed Pickle
• 2 Tomatoes (Blended into paste)
• 1 tsp. Imli Paste (Tamarind)
• 2 Green Chilies
• 1 tbsp. Coriander Leaves

Directions:

1. Fry onions in oil till they are brown.
2. Then add all the spices(salt, zeera, dhanya, red chili powder, haldi, ginger paste and garam masala) and after frying for about 2-3 minutes .
3. Add tomato paste and let it cook covered till the oil comes up.
4. Then add the chickpeas and  a little water (so it covers the cholay).
5. When done, add imli and pickle, a pinch of garam masala, mash it a bit and then add green chilies and coriander leaves. 
6. Done! Enjoy with the Halwa Poori Nashta.

For related recipes, click HERE