How 'puri-aloo' and 'chaat' unite Lucknow

Whenever my friends want to eat puri-aloo, they invite themselves over to my home.

- Anubhuti Krishna

In my hometown of Lucknow, this combination is found on every table, irrespective of class, community or faith. The dish is a reminder of the simplicity of the food of a city whose cuisine is often mistaken to be laced with spices, oil and meat.Puri-aloo is not breakfast but a complete meal, often celebratory and cooked for festivals and special occasions. It is always made with multiple sides like khatta meetha kaddu, a pumpkin dish with jaggery and amchoor, sookha ghuiyan (colocasia), raita and pulao. Sometimes, especially in more affluent homes, with a special khoya-matar-makhane ki sabzi, a rich curry made with mawa (reduced milk), foxnuts and green peas. Unlike other places, the sabzis are thin and runny, the puris light and the accompaniments made with minimal spicing. It is a typical satvik combo made without onion and garlic.

Located in the heart of the Indo-Gangetic plain, Lucknow has always had access to fine local produce, be it grains, vegetables, fruit or dairy. This reflects in the city's culinary culture where recipes honour ingredients—vegetables are added to meat, grains are converted into sabzis, flour is kneaded with ghee—and every dish stands out for its nuanced flavour, aroma and texture. Sagpaita, a dal made with winter greens like spinach and bathua added to split black urad, is one such example. The dal balances the sharpness of the greens and the tempering of garlic, asafoetida and whole red chillies lends layers of fragrance and flavour. Ghee ki sabzi, a recipe that uses the rich caramelised residue of malai (leftover after making ghee) to add both flavour and texture to a simple aloo-tamatar combination, is another example of playful use of textures that the kitchens of Lucknow are deft at.