All posts tagged Pakistan

Oops we are in trouble ! Looks like we have been having too much fun talking about addictions , coffee and bad food. Rumour has it , a few chic-fans aren’t too impressed with us, what with all those promises of delicious recipes. Now,now my wonderful followers , apologies for the deviation , there were just too many other exciting things happening but I haven’t forgotten our shared love of food , nor have I stopped cooking !  Perhaps I will redeem myself a bit with this scrumptious delight I am about to share.

Aloo ki Bhujia ( spiced potato curry ) is a favourite in every Pakistani home and each home has its own special style of preparing it. Back in the day , it was one of the first few dishes a 14 something girl would be taught by her mother/grandmother/aunts as she forayed into the land of cooking, along with how to roll a chappati and boil rice – the common lead up to finding a suitable match when she became eligible and in some cases , earlier than that .Knowing how to cook and cook well was kind of a big deal , in fact I dare say it still is in an understated sort of way….a fundamental factor in ensuring marital bliss. Good Cook = Happy Hubby. You know what they say , the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It is an interesting equation to say the least but no where nearly a defining factor in keeping marriages together , not anymore anyway.

Practices have changed as the world evolves and the internet becomes more and more accessible , many Pakistani girls now learn how to cook from aunties sitting across the globe such as the lovely Manjula Aunty who  runs a home cookery channel on Youtube attracting the attention of many young would-be connoisseurs. Some of the comments in these and other recipe videos are rather heart warming , newly marrieds trying to please their husbands with their favourite foods and the like.

Coming back to the quintessential Aloo ki Bhujia , it is a delicious medley of flavours and spices, warm , simple and comforting. Basic yet so wonderful. This dish is perfect on a day when you are short on time but still want to be able to serve up something decent or alternatively when you have an overstock of potatoes that you would rather not waste on a mash . This curry will keep very well refrigerated for 2-3 days but cannot be frozen.

Aloo Ki Bhujia

You will need :

• 3-4 tbsp cooking oil
• 5-6 medium potatoes , quartered and then thinly sliced , soaked in cold water
• 2 onions , thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 small piece of ginger , crushed
• 1 tomato , cubed
• 1 tsp whole cumin or zeera seeds
• 1/2 tsp whole nigella or kalonji seeds
• 1 tsp powdered coriander
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp powdered turmeric
• 1 green chilli sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

Preparation :

• Heat oil in a medium sized wok .
• Add nigella and cumin seeds until they splutter.
• Add sliced onions and let them fry at a medium heat until they turn pink/transluscent ( ensuring that they don’t turn golden- the idea being not to overcook the onions).
• Add tomatoes, crushed ginger and garlic and all the powdered spices and let this mixture fry until it releases oil .
• Drain excess water and add the finely sliced potatoes , mix well together with the spices, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
• Ideally, you may not need to add any water but if the mixture seems too dry, it is okay to add a little water to add moisture bearing in mind the final consistency is not too runny like a proper gravy and not too dry either.
• Once the potatoes are cooked through , add in the sliced green chillies and mix well .
• Turn off the stove after two minutes.
• Garnish generously with fresh coriander .

Serve with lemon wedges ,your favourite pickle, steamed rice or naan . Traditionally, Aloo ki Bhujia is served with a steaming phulka ( a fluffy flat bread ) or  Chapati but it just tastes just as nice with a fresh , toaster damper or a bread roll.

What say , have I made it up to you ?

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