Take 600 gm of potatoes (uncut, with skin), wash them nicely and put them in a pressure cooker. Then, add a bowl or about 250 ml of water to it. (Pro tip: I needed 250 ml of water. You may adjust the water to ensure the potatoes are not fully submerged in it.)

Now add 1 tsp of salt to it. Put the lid on and cook on a high flame for up to one whistle. Then reduce the flame to medium and let it cook further for about 10 minutes. (Pro tip: Adding salt while boiling prevents the potatoes from tasting bland).

While the potatoes are cooking, take 3 pieces of tomatoes and chop them finely. Also take 4 pieces of green chilies and slit them longitudinally from the middle.

Take 2 pieces of green cardamom (whole pods), 8 pieces of black peppercorns, a piece of cinnamon (1 inch stick), 2 pieces of cloves, a piece of black cardamom (whole pod), one large bay leaf (torn in half), 1 tsp of cumin seeds and 1 tsp of crushed coriander seeds on a plate.

Heat 1 tbsp of refined oil in a kadai or wok on a medium flame. When it is hot, put all the whole spices. Stir continuously and let them fry for about 5 seconds or so until they stop crackling. Now, add 1 tsp of finely chopped or grated ginger and let it cook for about half a minute until the raw smell is gone. (Pro tip: Stir the ginger continuously while it cooks because raw ginger tends to stick to the bottom of the kadai and burn fast. This will render a bitter taste to the poori bhaji).

Add the slit green chilies, finely chopped tomatoes, and 1 tsp of salt to it. Mix nicely and let them cook until the tomatoes become soft. (Pro tip: Adding salt along with tomatoes helps them soften nicely and cook faster).

When they become soft, cover the kadai and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on a medium flame.

Now, add 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of cumin powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, ½ tsp of garam masala powder and ¼ tsp of Kasoori methi to it. Mix them nicely. Stir and cook on a low to medium flame until the oil starts to separate from the sides.

By this time, the potatoes will be boiled perfectly. Check the doneness with a knife. Remove them from the pressure cooker to a bowl. Let them cool down a bit. Peel the skin.

Mash them roughly with the back of a stainless-steel glass or vegetable masher. You can also mash them with your hand if they are sufficiently cool. Add the mashed potatoes to the masala in the kadai. Mix nicely.

Pour 4 cups of water and mix nicely. Cover and cook on a high flame for about 2 to 3 minutes. When the water reduces to half, add 1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to it. At this stage, taste it and add salt if necessary. Mix everything nicely. Let it cook for a minute.

By that time, to make the tadka, heat 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter) in a separate pan on a low to medium flame. When it melts completely, add a pinch of asafetida to it and cook for 5 seconds. Remove the pan and while the ghee is still hot, mix 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder with it.

Pour it and mix it nicely with the bhaji in the kadai. Transfer the bhaji to a serving bowl.

Now, take 2 tbsp of rawa (semolina or sooji) in a small bowl and pour 4 tbsp of lukewarm water into it to soak. Keep it aside for about 2 to 4 minutes or until it swells up.

While the semolina swells up, take 500 grams of wheat flour (atta) in a big bowl and mix ½ tsp of salt, ½ tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of carom seeds (Ajwain) with it very nicely. Do not add water at this stage. Then, add the soaked semolina and a cup of lukewarm water.

Knead the dough nicely. The dough should not be very soft or very hard. Add more water gradually, if needed. Now, grease 1 tbsp of refined oil on it, cover it and let it rest for about 20 minutes. (Pro tip: I add a little bit of sugar to the dough because it gives a nice color to my pooris. Also, I add ajwain because it promotes digestion).

After 20 minutes, grease your hands with a bit of refined oil and make small balls of the dough. Press them with your hand and roll them with a rolling pin, one by one, to make the pooris.

Heat 700 ml of refined oil in a kadai on a high flame and then reduce the flame to medium when hot. Put the poori in the hot oil one by one and fry them nicely on both sides, flipping when they swell up. Remove them when done.

Your tasty and spicy homemade poori bhaji is ready.