Some dishes have so many memories attached to it. The combination "Kachori r Jhal Alur Tarkari (Puffed Bread with Spicy Potato Curry)" is one of them. In Bengal, you can find a small shop in every corner of the street or market or station which sells "Kachori r Jhal Alur Tarkari (Puffed Bread with Spicy Potato Curry)" in the morning and famous Bengali Chop (fritters) in the evening. In my hometown, there is a small shop nearby the station which sells this in the morning. In my childhood while returning home from school around 4-5 p.m. I used to notice 2-3 persons washing and cutting the potatoes continuously, some of them are kneading the dough or grinding the spices in a "sheel-nora (stone grinder)" and the incredible smell of roasted spices are wafting out from the shop. They used to arrange all the things earlier the day and the next morning by 6 a.m they used to open their shop and make the hot "Kachoris" and serve it with the "Jhal alur tarkari" in a Sal leaves bowl to the customers. In the morning they used to have a good crowd in front of the shop and in weekend if you go there by 9-9.30 a.m, you won't be able to buy as their stock would have finished by then.
In my childhood Baba used to bring "Kachori r Jhal Alur Tarkari (Puffed Bread with Spicy Potato Curry)" sometimes in the Sunday morning. The seller would give the "kachoris" in a "kagojer thonga" (paper packet) and the "Jhal alur tarkari" in a plastic packet wrapped with rubber bands. When Baba used to take out the packet from the shopping bag, we can't wait longer. We would bring a plate from the kitchen hurriedly and take out the "Kachoris and tarkari". Me and my sister can have 3-4 "kachoris" and I used to reserve the last one for later. I would take a plate, place the last one, pour some tarkari (curry) over the "kachori" and keep it for some time. when the "kachori" would soak all the gravies from tarkari (curry) then I would have that one and I used to eat that last "kachori " very slowly and enjoy every bite of it.
2 years back when Himel and I went to our hometown (Kolkata) during Durga Puja, that time also we didn't miss the chance to have it. We went out for a walk in the next morning and brought a heap of Kachoris and tarkari from the shop and had it in morning breakfast.
Tips:
For potato curry I used the potatoes with skin as most of the shops prepare the dish like that but it's purely optional.
For roasted spices, add the fenugreek leaves after you turn off the heat otherwise the dried leaves will burn and give the curry a bitter taste.
Kachori:
Servings: 4 (20 pieces)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
200 g all purpose flour
30 g semolina
50 g urid dal/ kolai dal/ biuli dal/ vigna mungo without skin
1 1/2 tbsp curd
1.5 inch (10 g) ginger piece
5-6 (10 g) whole green chillies
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil for kneading, enough oil for deep frying
Recipe:
Making the dough:
Wash, then soak the urid dal (kolai dal/ biuli dal/ vigna mungo) overnight in plenty of water.
Drain the water thoroughly from the dal in the next day and transfer it to a grinder jar. Add a small amount of water, a pinch of salt and fennel seeds, ginger, green chillies. Grind it coarsely but not too coarse.
Now in a large mixing bowl take the plain flour, semolina, salt, sugar, asafoetida powder, black cumin seeds and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Rub the flour between your fingers to distribute the oil evenly.
Next, add the urid dal (kolai dal/ biuli dal/ vigna mungo) paste and curd to the flour. Mix it well into the flour.
Now knead well continuously for 5-6 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and soft. Add small water if needed (as we have added curd and dal paste to the flour, it needs very little to no water to form a soft pliable dough).
Cover the dough with a lid and let it rest for at least 45 minutes.
Frying the Kachoris:
Divide the dough into equal portions (it will make around 20 pieces medium size "Kachoris"). Shape them into balls. Coat the balls with little bit of oil and keep them covered.
Now grease the rolling surface and rolling pin with little bit of oil. Flatten the ball slightly and roll it out into a circle on greased surface. Repeat it with all the dough balls.
Meanwhile take enough vegetable oil for deep frying in a deep pan or wok. Heat the oil in moderate high heat.
Once the oil is heated to its smoking point, quickly lower the heat to medium. Try to maintain an even temperature.
Carefully lower the "kachori" in hot oil and fry one at a time. Lightly press down the sides to make them puff. Turn once.
Remove the "kachori" from the hot oil and drain them on paper towel.
Serve it hot with "Jhal Alu r Tarkari (Spicy Potato Curry)" or cholar dal.
Jhal Alur Tarkari (Spicy Potato Curry):
Servings: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
350 g potatoes, washed, cut in small cube with skin
20 g soya chunks
1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4th tsp red chilli powder
1/4th tsp dried mango powder (amchur powder)
1/4th tsp garam masala
1/4th tsp asafoetida
1tbsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp mustard oil
Ingredients for roasted spices:
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4th tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4th tsp carom seeds
1/4th tsp black cumin seeds
2 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
Recipe:
In a deep pan take the soya chunks along with water and a pinch of salt. Boil it for 3-5 minutes until the soya chunks become soft. Bring it to room temperature and squeeze out all the excess water from the soya chunks. Keep it aside.
Heat a pan in moderate high heat and add all the ingredients for roasted spices except the dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi). Dry roast for couple of seconds until nice aroma starts to come out. Turn off the heat. Add the dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) now. Stir in once or twice. Take out all the ingredients in a plate.
Now add all other dry spices (coriander powder, red chilli powder, dried mango powder, garam masala, asafoetida) with the roasted spices and grind it together to a coarse powder. We need 2 tbsp of this powder for the recipe. You can use the rest of the spice mix in other veg recipes. It will give a nice aroma to any veg dish.
Add mustard oil in a pan. Heat up the oil in medium high heat. When light smokes start to come out add the spice powder. Fry it for 5-6 seconds and add a splash of water (2-3 tbsp) for not to burn the spices. Stir it well.
Now add ginger and green chilli paste, sugar and a pinch of salt to the pan and fry the spices in medium low heat until oil separates from the spices.
Add the potatoes and soya chunks to the spices. Combine them well with the spices. Cover the pan with lid. Change the temperature to medium high. Braise for 5-6 minutes or until the potatoes are well coated with the spices and turn lightly soft. Stir in between to avoid sticking of spices to the bottom of the pan. If needed, splash some water.
Now add 1 cup of warm water (220 ml) to the pan. Change the temperature to high. Cover the pan with the lid. Boil the gravy for 8-10 minutes in high heat until the potatoes are fully cooked.
Smash some boil potatoes with the back of the ladle and mix it to the gravy to thicken it.
Check for seasoning. Add salt if needed. Mix all the things together. Turn off the heat. Give few minutes standing time before serving. Serve "Jhal Alu r Tarkari (Spicy Potato Curry)" with "Kachori"
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