Simple and best Aloo Sabji or Bateta Shak

Simple and best Aloo Puri or Bateta and Puris

I first made this recipe when my I was at my mum’s and we had a call from my dad’s sister saying they were in the area with their friends and were going to pop by in the next few minutes. Suddenly, there was excitement in the house as everyone rushed to tidy up and then a sudden panic attack as mum said, “What about dinner?”.

Well, that was it we rushed to the kitchen and my mum started making the dessert, as for some reason in our family we always think of the sweet dishes first! Never mind the main as long as there is dessert? I was joking with my mum and she said that if I found t funny I could make the dinner! Well, that was it, I love a challenge and so checked out the fridge and pulled out the paneer to make my famous Chilli Paneer (recipe in my blog) and for main, I thought I would make mu jhat phat (quick and snappy) Aloo Puri with Chana and ghiya dhal (recipe in blog).

They arrived with a lovely box of Indian sweets, we had some drinks and snacks. Everyone seemed to chat non-stop and then came the dinner. We had the Chilli Paneer as our starter and the compliments started, with the Chilli Paneer I have to say I was not surprised but with the Aloo Puri dish as I made it in a rush, I was not so sure how it would turn out. We all ate, sharing recipes as we dug into the yummy Aloo dish and my aunty said they had never had Chana and Ghiya dhal before and would definitely try making these dishes. Then we all sat back and enjoyed the delicious strawberry triffle and for the ones that preferred an Indian dessert, they enjoyed my mum’s lovely Suji halwa, flavoured with saffron, it smelled and tasted divine.

My only regret is that I did not take pictures of the food before it was gone. At least we got some pictures of all of us together :).

Hope you also enjoy the Aloo Sabji recipe:

Ingredients:

6 – 8 Potatoes (boiled or I simply cook them in the microwave to save time – see tips)
3 fresh large juicy tomatoes – chopped
8 Curry leaves
1 tablespoon Tomato puree
6 green chillies – sliced (adjust to suit own taste)
2 teaspoons jeera (cumin seeds)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 or 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
2 dried red chillies
Juice of one fresh lemon
Spices - 1 teaspoon of each – turmeric, cumin & coriander powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
Sprigs of Coriander leaves

Recipe:

1. Cook the potatoes until they are just done, in the microwave for about 10 minutes or by boiling for about 15 mins. Peel potatoes and chop.


2. In a large pan, heat oil and add – jeera and mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies and half of green chillies.


3. Once the jeera turns brown (takes a minute or so), add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir until tomatoes start to break ( about 5 mins).


4. Add all spices and stir well. Add water and mix well. Add potatoes and ensure there is enough water to cover potatoes.


5. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for about 10 mins.


6. Check the potatoes are well cooked and now add the remaining green chillies, lemon juice and use a fork to mash 2 or 3 pieces of the potatoes to thicken the sauce.


7. After about 5 minutes remove from heat, garnish with coriander and serve hot with fluffy puris.
   

My aunty rang me the next day, to check the recipes again as she wanted to make these for her family. I also confirmed the recipe she gave me for Saag Paneer with her. We both promised to try each others recipes and share our experiences.

Tips:

• To save time it is easier to cook the potatoes by simply washing the potatoes, prick them with a fork and cook in the microwave for about 10 mins. If potatoes are large, halve them and cook. Cool and peel. I find that not only does it save time when microwaving them as you don’t have to bother with boiling water and the potatoes have a better taste as they do not take in too much water, as they do when boiled.
  
• I always use fresh tomatoes for my cooking but these could be substituted with a tin of tomatoes, tins always come in handy! Same goes for the lemon juice, you could use the bottled but the flavour will not be the same though.
• I have used chopped green chillies at different stages of this recipe as I found that as the chillies cook, the flavour changes and as with the Chilli Paneer, it makes such a difference to bite into the chillies that are nearly raw and others that are cooked in oil and have a milder flavour. Of course you could alter the amount as you see fit.
  

Easy/Hard to make: Very Easy and a must try!

Preperation time – 5 mins

Cooking time – about 15 mins (as the potatoes cook, chop the tomatoes, chillies, squeeze the lemon for juice and get the spices ready)

Pictures to follow...