Hi all, hope you’re well and that you had a lovely weekend?
Do you ever watch a foodie programme and the recipe sticks with you because it sounds so darn gorgeous? I watched the delectable Rick Stein’s ‘India’ a few months ago and hastily scribbled down the recipe in my little black book. I keep meaning to type up my spidery-crawls (who needs encryption when one’s writing is so bad?), yet I find the thought of hand-written recipes quaint and romantic, hence me refraining… for now.
Rick Stein’s ‘India’ series is currently on repeat on the Good Food channel, which I’m definitely recording now on Sky Planner. One of his recipes really stood out for me, because of its simplicity and freshness. I grew up having this as a side dish, as you would chips, and Rick Stein said it makes a great breakfast dish too. It is basically chopped boiled potatoes and fried in a spicy tarka or vaghar (oil + spices for a dry-rub consistency).
Fellow foodies, here is Rick Stein’s Aloo Dum. I found the recipe really simple to follow and the dish from cooker to table took circa 30 minutes. This recipe appears in the book accompanying the series (I had to get it, I’m a little bit in love with Rick Stein’s cooking).
This recipe hails from Calcutta and Seema Das’s daughter is credited as being the originator. Here it is:
Aloo Dum (Potato & Pea Curry with Tomato & Coriander)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients for the fried potatoes
1kg potatoes (peeled, cut into 3cm chunks)
4tbsp mustard or vegetable oil
1tsp turmeric
For the sauce
3tbsp vegetable oil
2 Indian bay leaves
¼ tsp asafoetida
1 medium onion (very finely chopped)
30g / 6 cloves garlic (finely crushed)
25g / 5cm ginger (finely grated)
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (I used regular chilli powder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder which I couldn’t find, so added 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar for that sweet citric kick)
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
200g tomato passata
2 green chillies (sliced lengthways into thin strips, with or without seeds according to preference)
100ml water
150g frozen peas (I only used a handful, because I had unfortunately run out)
1tsp garam masala
Handful coriander (chopped including full leaves to sprinkle as garnish)
Method
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 8 minutes until just tender, then drain well. Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan or karahi over a medium-high heat, add potatoes and fry for 5 minutes until golden. Add turmeric, fry for 30 seconds and remove pan from heat.
For the sauce, heat oil in another pan over a medium-high heat. Add bay leaves and fry for 1 minute, add asafoetida and stir. (Be careful, as this is a very finely ground spice and if not tended to properly, can burn). Add onion. fry for 5 minutes, then add garlic, ginger and fry for 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add chilli powder, cumin, coriander, amchur, turmeric, salt and fry for 1 minute. Add tomato passata, green chillies, water and stir together. Add fried potatoes, reduce heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, adding a splash of water if anything catches on the bottom of the pan.
Add the peas and garam masala, cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes until peas are cooked. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
Here is the finished product. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but it really was delicious. So much so, that I’ve added it to my repertoire of go-to dishes. I ate it with a nice crisp salad and a dollop of cool and creamy yogurt. It’s one of those dishes that I would happily make for mama dearest, and she’s one hell of a fabulous cook.
Do let me know if you make this recipe and how you get on with it. Have you got any go-to dishes to share? Hit me up… and happy cooking!
RAxxx