Aloo Dum

I have been craving some good restaurant food, and there is not a lot of choice or variety in Denver compared to the California or Dallas. We don't eat out a lot, so it had to be something that I could cook, and wanted something spicy and comforting. Here I was surfing the blogworld to see if there was anything exciting that I could cook, and chanced upon Bong Mom's Cookbook and the aloo dum recipe.

That was it, I was going to have Aloo Dum for dinner, so here is my recipe hot with puris.

10 round baby potatoes

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 green cardamom

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1/4 tsp saunf

2 red chillies

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp garlic

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp plain yogurt

1/4 tsp hing

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

1 tbsp cream

1 tbsp cilantro leaves chpped

4 tbsp oil

Method:

Peel the potatoes and cut into big cubes.

Heat 2 tbsp oil fry onion chopped, ginger, garlic once browned add coriander seeds, black pepper, cuminseeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and saunf.

Add tomatoes abd chilli powder and let it cook down.

Add yogurt cook till well combined.

Remove from heat.

Blend in a blender, till smooth.

Heat the remaining oil add hing and turmeic add the potatoes and fry till they are browned

Add the blended sauce, salt, and sugar and put it in a pressure cooker and cook for one whistle. Add cream and cilantro leaves.

Serve with puris.

Container Gardening

mint

red spinach
curry leaves
green chillies
green chillies

Sundal

Brown ChickPeas Salad, that's what I call them when I take it to work for lunch, sounds very exotic right!!!

Brown chickpeas/kala chana 1 cup soaked in the morning if you want to use them in the evening, so almost 6 hrs of soaking. (Use canned chickpeas if this is too much work)

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Urad dal 1/2 tsp

Red chilli dry 1

Hing a smidgen

Curry leaves

Green chilli & ginger paste

Sambar pwd 1/2 tsp

Onion pwd 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coconut grated 2 tbsps

lemon juice 1/2 tsp

Method:

Cook the chickpeas in the pressure cooker for about 15 minutes under pressure.

Let it cool then open the cooker.

Heat oil add mustard seeds let it spultter, add urad dal, red chilli, hing and curry leaves.

Add green chilli and ginger paste, add the chickpeas and whatever water was left in the pan and the salt..

Cook till almost semi-dry, add sambar masala and onion pwd. Stir for a few minutes and add grated coconut.

Take off heat add lemon juice.

Serve at room temperature.

Once cooled add chopped tomatoes, onions and cucumbers and voila, you have a salad.

Potato Cutlet

These potato cutlets are really yummy, with a crisp exterior and soft center, I like eating them with ketchup or just between two slices of bread.


5 medium potatoes(I used Yukon gold)

2 tbsp cornflour powder

1 tsp ginger & green chilli paste

1 tbsp grated onion

1 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp cumin seeds pwd

1/2 tsp salt

oil for pan frying

4 tbsps rice flour for coating the cutlets





Method:



Boil potatoes either in a pressure coker for 3 whistles or peel and cut them into cubes and cook them for 15 minutes or so till fork tender.

Mash the potatoes, I like mine smooth, you can leave it chunky if you like.

Add the cornflour, ginger & green chilli paste, grated onion, cilantro leaves, garam masala pwd, chilli pwd, cumin seeds pwd and salt. Mix well till blended.

Divide into ten portions and shape into rounds about 2" in diameter.

Roll in rice flour.

Heat oil add three cutlets at a time and fry till golden and crisp.

Serve with green chutney or ketchup.