Bhola's Alu Dom

 

Bhola's Alu Dum

A new item I haven't seen before at our Indian supermarket are packages of baby potatoes that are cooked, peeled and frozen. I've been dreaming of Bhola's alu dum we would gorge on in Darjeeling. Bhola had a food stall off the mall and his alu dum made a great after-school snack. They were delicious, bright red, piping hot, soft and spicy potatoes that made our eyes (and noses) water. 

I gathered all the red spices I could find in the spice cabinet but it needed a little something more so I added a teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of vinegar. With the help of a serrano chili, this alu dum came out tasting sweet, spicy and slightly sour. It will go well with hot steamed basmati rice or flat bread.

Tips

• Make sure to prick each baby potato all over so flavours can penetrate to the center of each potato.
• Onion paste will give more body to the gravy instead of minced onions. Cut an onion into four, blanch for 2 minutes and grind to a paste.

Komola Kopi or Stir-Fried Cauliflower and Mandarin Orange Segments

Komola Kopi

I came across this unusual recipe on Facebook and since oranges and cauliflower are staples in our home, gave it a try with excellent results. Since most of the orange segments melted down in the cooking, I added more before removing it from the stove top. Its appearance, aroma and taste were in a class of its own. I love the occasional burst of sweet citrus flavour! 

Serve this as a side dish with rice or chapatis.

Kosha Mangsho - Slow Cooked Lamb or Goat Curry

Kosha Mangsho 

Kosha Mangsho is a lamb or goat curry that is simmered for hours over low heat until the meat falls off the bones, leaving a golden brown gravy that is silky and delicious! I went looking for a whole baby goat leg, but all they had at the halal meat shop was baby lamb shoulder. I much prefer goat because lamb has a horrible smell, but was pleasantly surprised to find that baby lamb doesn't smell bad at all! The shoulder was cut into 'stew' pieces by the butcher and it had lots of meaty bones which gives the curry so much more flavor than boneless cuts of meat. Besides, I love chewing on the bones and the marrow is to die for.

Kosha Mangsho with Baby Potatoes

Adding baby potatoes to lamb curry is my favorite way of preparing meat dishes. They add a different texture to the meaty parts of the dish and are so satisfying too! Marinating the lamb overnight in the refrigerator tenderizes and allows all the spices to penetrate the chunks of lamb from the inside out.

Simmered for Hours on the Stove Top

Rather than cook this quickly in a pressure cooker, I chose to cook it in a skillet over low heat on top of the stove. It simmered for 2-1/2 hours while I prepared the rest of the meal and was outstanding as a result of the slow cooking. This lamb curry is best served with steaming hot rice (in my humble opinion) but also goes well with any variety of Indian breads.

Kofta Alu Biryani - Meatball & Potato Biryani

Kofta Alu Biryani

Bengali meals almost always include a rice dish as a staple which is why pulaos and biryanis are such a favourite side. Biryani is a layered dish of rice and meat or seafood, cooked in a saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Pulao is more like a fried rice. 

After our grandchildren arrived, I was re-introduced to meatballs and spaghetti, so our freezer is always stocked with Italian meatballs. They go from a frozen state to soft and bouncy balls by simmering in hot, chicken stock for 10 minutes. After draining, the remaining stock is reserved for cooking the rice.

Whole baby potatoes are a must for this biryani, but I've also used chunks of russet/baking potatoes. The other necessary ingredient is Shan's Pulao/Biryani spice mix. This is available in Indian markets and there's no way I could reproduce the combination of spices in my kitchen.

This biryani goes well with a raita (salad dressed with yogurt dressing) or the fresher pico de gallo style of salad comprising cucumber, tomatoes and onions dressed with lime and salt.

Quick & Easy Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Fluff with a fork to reveal the
pretty orange hue of the saffron

Here is a really quick & easy way to make biryani which is served on festive occasions. Our cause for celebration was to break a fast from eating bland food because Hubby was suffering from a digestive ailment. If you've read my past posts on the subject, they will seem labor-intensive - see Chicken Biryani and 

Lamb & Potato Biryani.

Served with Shrimp Curry

Choto Alu'r Dum

We had this biryani with Shrimp Curry and Alu Dum, but it tastes great accompanied by a salad or raita.

Lamb & Potato Biryani

Lamb Biryani

Mum's Yakhni Pulao made with mutton or lamb was unforgettable. It was quite a complicated recipe, but unfortunately, there is no record it. I've tried to reproduce it to the best of my ability, and this attempt tasted quite delicious.

My pressure cooker came in handy to pre-cook the pieces of meat, but this step could also be done on the stove top. It would just take an hour or longer instead of 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. 

Shan pulao/biryani masala mix, available in Indian markets, contains a mix of spices that give biryani its distinctive taste and aroma. I used a tea strainer to sprinkle the spices over a plate. That leaves all the solid spices in the strainer which I use for tempering, remove from the oil and enclose them in a tea ball (or cheescloth tied with kitchen string is a good substitute) which is tossed into the saucepan to cook along with the biryani.

Packaged Birista

Bottled Birista

Birista or deep fried onions are an essential garnish for both pulaos and biryanis. They're easy to make but is a tedious and long process. Much easier to pick up a bottle or package of birista at the Asian markets.

Fuji Apple Raita

CucumberTomatoOnion Salad

Biryani is pretty filling as a main course, but is great paired with a raita or simple salad. The grated fuji apple raita on the left is dressed with yogurt and a tempering of raisins, mustard seeds and curry leaves. On the right, a simple salad of cucumber, tomatoes and onion is dressed very simply with salt and lime juice.

Baked Baby Potatoes

Baked Baby Potatoes

These little red and yellow potatoes are so delicious baked in their jackets. They were a hit at our Thanksgiving table this year. The yellow potatoes were tossed with olive oil, dried onion bits and dried rosemary and the red potatoes were tossed with olive oil, dried garlic and dried rosemary before roasting. They're added to the baking pan during the last half hour of baking the turkey, so it's one way of heating them up just before dinner.

Microwaving them for 5 minutes in the microwave oven before baking ensures the potatoes are fully cooked. 

Nepali Alu Dum

Nepali Alu Dum

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby potatoes

1 Tbsp. chilli paste, or to taste

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

½ tsp. Kalonji/Kalo Jeera

½ tsp. turmeric powder

½ tsp. red chilli powder, or to taste
2 tsp. Kashmiri Mirch or paprika

1 large onion, chopped

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes in half; boil for 15 minutes and drain, reserving water.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry kalonji till the seeds sputter.
3. Add chopped onion and fry until onions turn translucent.  Do not brown the onions.
4. Stir in chilli paste, salt, turmeric, chilli powder & paprika and stir-fry for a minute on low flame.
5. Add ginger paste and some of the reserved water, bring to a boil and add potato.
6. Add more of the reserved water, depending on how much gravy is desired and cook until potatoes are fork-tender.
7. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve.

Notes:

To cut back on the heat, I made my own chilli paste using 2 red peppers and 2 fresh red (Thai) chillies.  First deseed and quarter the red peppers.  Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and leave in hot water for 2 minutes.  Drain, remove the skin and puree along with the 2 fresh chillies.  I also substituted paprika for the chilli powder.

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