CURRY AND SPICE: GREEN PEA DUM ALOO N RADHABALLAVI

This dish is an ode to my college days. Our college was at the centre of old and famous sweet shops and movie theatres. This was a dish served at the sweet shops. Some of us spent more time in these two places rather than the classrooms. A bowl full of dum aloo, two radhaballavi, a roshogolla or chaner jilipi or sandesh was a blissful brunch / lunch for us. Although we took packed lunch boxes from home, we always had space for these. We were always hungry. Those shops are still there, ailing actually in the shadow of big brands. Wish we could do something to revive them.

I remember at home, radhaballavi was not done much. Dum Aloo was accompanied by luchi or paratha and green pea stuffed kachoris in winter..... ahh sheer bliss! I am a hardcore foodie, ate like a demon once. These days I am not allowed to; yet I do not follow a strict diet chart! Where is the fun of living then?

Radhaballavi is a kind of lentil stuffed poori. Let us cook the combo meal! I have used Chana Dal / Cholar Dal / Bengal Gram Lentils stuffing here following another recipe! I forgot to mention whose recipe I followed! Mine is authentic or not, it is tasty! One day, I would ask the sweet shop owner at Hathibagan, Kolkata what they use in the stuffing! I think I was more or less in the right track!

INGREDIENTS :[for the dum aloo]

Potato : 2
Green Pea : 1/2cup
Tomato : 1medium
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Oil : 3tbsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the poori filling]

Bengal Gram dal[chana dal] : 1medium cup
Cumin Seed : 1/4 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt : As Required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Sugar : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 1tbsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the poori dough]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee mug
Semolina : 1/2 of a coffee mug
Salt : 2-3 pinch
Oil : 1 tbsp + enough to deep fry
Water : As Required

METHOD :[Green Pea Dum Aloo]

Peel, wash and cut each of the potatoes into four pieces! Apply a little of salt and turmeric.

Heat the oil in a wok, fry the potato pieces until golden brown. Keep aside. Temper the oil with a bayleaf and cumin seeds.

Add the ginger paste and fry for a minute. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir well for 1/2 a minute.

Add the fried potatoes to the spice paste. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add a small cup of water. Let boil at medium to low heat for 4-5 minutes.

Add the green peas & sugar! Let cook for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

METHOD :[the filling for the poori]

The Bengal Gram Dal / Cholar Dal / Chana Dal has to be soaked in hot water for 2 hours and pressure cooked adding a big cup of water up to 2 whistles. Let it cool. Blend it in a blender.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds. Give a stir and add the dal paste. Stir for a minute.

Add the spice powders, salt, sugar. Fold in well. Cook until the dal mix gets drier. Add the refined flour now and fold in well. Take down and let cool.

METHOD :[RADHABALLAVI]

Take the refined flour & semolina in a wide mouthed bowl. Add the salt and 1 tbsp oil. Keep rubbing with your palm for 2-3 minutes. Add water little by little and keep rubbing until a dough is formed. Cover it for 1/2 an hour with a moist towel.

Remove the towel and knead once again for 2-3 minutes. Make medium sized balls and make pockets. Fill each pocket with the dal fillings.

Close the mouth of the ball. Do same with all of them. It looks as this.

With a rolling pin, roll into roundels. Do not press too hard, or else the stuffing may come out.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry each at a time, until both sides puff up.