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Preeti Shridhar

Pyaaz Wale Aaloo ( Potatoes in  spicy Onion Gravy)

This recipe is very close to my heart. It reminds me of my childhood.

In my grandparents kitchen onions were strictly prohibited. My grandmother was very particular about it. I am sure many of you can relate with this. But the menfolk having travelled out had started eating onions. So once in a while when they wanted to eat a vegetable with onions this is what they used to rustle up. They had to cook in the verandah in separate cooking vessels and use a separate knife.

As kids when we used to go visiting our grandparents, Pyaaz wale Aaloo were cooked atleast once. Ours was a big family so you can imagine the commotion. My grandmother getting hyper coz onions had come home that day. My mom and my aunts were not allowed to help. My uncles trying to cook.

I don’t remember how the recipe evolved over the years but this is the version I remember eating and loving every bite of it. Even today my mom cooks it this way.

So today I am sharing with you all a part of my childhood.



Ingredients

Serves 6


Potatoes  500 gms

Onion  250 gms

Bay leaf  2

Cloves  8

Peppercorns  8

Black cardamom 2

Cumin  1 tsp

Asaefotida  a pinch

Ginger  1 tbsp grated

Green chilly  1

Red chilly pd  1 tsp

Dhania pd  1  tbsp

Cumin pd  2 tsp

Salt  to taste

Garam masala  1/4 tsp

Coriander    1 tbsp finely chopped

Lemon juice  2 tsp

Mustard Oil  2+1  tbsp



Method

  1. Use medium sized potatoes. Wash and peel them.

  2. Cut each into 8 pieces

  3. Grind onions , green chili and ginger into a coarse paste . Keep it aside.

  4. Heat 1 tbsp  oil in a pan.

  5. Add potaotes and half a tsp salt.

  6. Saute them till they get slightly golden.

  7. Remove them on a plate.

  8. In the same pan add the remaining oil.

  9. Add bay leaf, cumin and asaefotida.

  10. Crush cloves, peppercorn and black cardamom in mortar and pestle.

  11. Add these to the pan.

  12. Stir for a minute and then  tip in the onion ginger puree.

  13. On a low flame fry the puree really well till it turns brownish and the raw smell of onions goes away.

  14. If it sticks to the bottom of the pan, sprinkle water from time to time.

  15. Once the onions turn brown, add red chilli pd, coriander pd, cumin pd and salt.

  16. Mix well, add a table spoon of water. Cook for a minute.

  17. Now add the potatoes. Fry for a couple of minutes.

  18. Now add water, bring it to a boil.

  19. Cover and cook on low till potatoes turn soft.

  20. Mash a few potatoes with the back of a ladle. This will thicken the gravy.

  21. Add lemon juice and garam masala.

  22. Taste and adjust the seasoining.

  23. Also check the gravy. It should be thick.

  24. Garnish with chopped coriander.

  25. Serve piping hot with parathas or rice.

  26. This tastes even better the next day so I always make a little extra.

  27. Do give it a try. I hope you like it as much as I do.


Note : my recipes are not very spicy so you can increase the chilli quotient depending on your taste.



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