NIRAMISH ALOOR DUM

LUCHI-ALOOR DUM; one of the favourite Bengali breakfast menu. If its weekend, it has to be accompanied with halwa  or jalebi / jilipi or pantua or roshogolla or sandesh; the list is varied.... the aloor dum is static. The word 'Niramish' means vegetarian. Among us even onion, garlic are considered non-vegetarian. This NIRAMISH ALOOR DUM is prepared without onion and garlic. At times, we offer this to God along with Rice Pulao or luchi / puffed rice!

There are various other ways of preparing Aloor Dum, sometimes with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste or even with a combination of milk n lemon juice in the marination. I shall definitely come up with them some day.

As told in the beginning, Aloor Dum, accompanied with Luchi tastes divine. It even goes pretty well with polao & fried rice; jeera rice or lemon rice! I remember, a foodie that I was, I relished / cherished every bit of the aloo smeared with gravy, then there was the finger licking part. These were small things we enjoyed as kids. Even today, as a mother, as a teacher, I would neither admit nor agree with the fact that these small acts are anyway against table manners. Humans need not turn robots. In self defence, I get closer to traditions, I do not have any qualms about it!

This NIRAMISH ALOOR DUM  is prepared with a generous amount of tomato which works as good substitute to onion, garlic, adds  to colour of gravy. Nonetheless to say, Kashmiri Mirch is must have in my kitchen just for that colour factor! The best part of it is that you can have this spicy potato curry with toasted breads too;  thats how they are served in Kolkata roadside tea stalls!

INGREDIENTS :

Potato(medium sized) : 500 gm
Tomato( medium sized) : 2

Green Pea : 1/2 small tea cup size
Green Chilli paste : 1 tbsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 2 pinches
Bengali Garam Masala Powder(a mix of cinnamon,green cardamom,cloves) : 4 pinch
Bay Leaf : 1
Sugar : 1/4 tsp
Coriander Leaves : 25 gm chopped ( optional)
Oil : 4 table spoon

Skip the garnish of ghee if you want it to be vegan.

METHOD :

Peel, wash, cut potatoes into halves. Apply little salt, turmeric. Keep aside for not more than 15-20 minutes, else they turn black.

Wash, cut tomatoes into small pieces, discard the seeds. Slit green chillies. Keep ginger paste, green chilli paste ready. Keep salt, turmeric, cumin powder, red chilli powder separately in small bowls.

Heat oil in wok. Fry potato pieces until golden brown in batches. Take out. Temper oil with cumin seeds, one bay leaf. Add ginger paste. Fry till raw smell goes away. Add green chilli paste. Fry for a minute.

Add tomato pieces, cook until soft. Add green peas. Stir for a while. Add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric, cumin powder, mix well. Stir until oil separates from spice mix.

Add fried potatoes. Fold in well with spices. Add  half coffee mug of water. Cover cook for five minutes at low heat. Wait for gravy to thicken. Add sugar, Bengali Garam Masala,  chopped coriander leaves, give a stir. Switch off gas stove. It is done.

Enjoy with chapati, poori, paratha, pilaf or even toasted bread slices.