Luchi - Sada Alur Tarkari ( Aloo Charchari )

After eating milk with cereals, Granola or Yogurt from Monday to Friday, when the weekend comes, Bengali hearts yearn for some Luchi with plain Aaloo Tarkari aka alu charchari. Without any doubt, this is an ideal breakfast for all Bengali on any weekend. Though it’s mainly popular as breakfast, you can serve this combo during any time of the day. This delicious duo never fails to win any Bengali's heart. 

Luchi which is commonly known as Poori in other parts of India than Bengal, is a deep-fried and flat bread, made of refined wheat flour, also known as Maida flour. To make Luchis, at first a dough is prepared by using all-purpose flour, ghee or oil and water. Then it’s divided into some small balls. The balls are flattened using a rolling-pin and then deep-fried in oil or ghee. There is a slight difference between Luchi and Poori. Atta or wheat flour is used in Poori instead of all-purpose flour.

Luchis are always served with curries. Most of the time it’s enjoyed with Alu-r Dom, Chola-r Daal, Begun Bhaja or plain Alu-r Tarkari. Most people will agree that Luchi goes best with Alu-r Tarkari or Aalu Charchari. Sada Alur Tarkari is simple Potato Curry flavored with Nigella seeds and green chilies. Today I am here to share with you how to make Luchi and Alu charchari. 

Recipe of Luchi, serves 2 to 3 people

Ingredients :

All-purpose flour ( Maida ): 2 cups 

Cooking Oil / White Oil: 2 tablespoons 

Salt: a pinch 

Water: as needed 

White Oil / Cooking Oil: for deep frying 

Method:

1. Mix maida and salt together. Add oil to the maida. Mix it well with your fingertips. Add water to make the dough. Add water little at a time and knead it. The dough should be soft and smooth. Once it is done cover it with a damped kitchen towel and let it rest for half an hour. 

2. Make small balls out of the dough. Roll it between your palms and make it smooth balls. 

Grease your cleaned kitchen counter top with a little bit of oil. Now flatten the balls with a rolling pin to make even circles. 

3. Take a deep-frying pan, add oil and heat it up. The heating of the oil plays a very important role in frying luchi. Oil should not be very hot or cold. If it is cold luchi will not puff up. If it is too hot the color of Luchi will be brown. Most of the people love to eat whitish Luchi. So keep the flame on medium-high. When you will see the little smoke coming out of the oil that means oil is hot. Fry luchis one by one. Gently press the edges of luchi down in the oil. It will help to puff up. Once one side is puffed up turn it. Using a slotted spoon drain it out from the oil. Repeat the process until all are done. 

Recipe of Sada Alur Tarkari ( Simple Potato Curry flavored with Nigella seeds ) 

Ingredients:

Potato: 3 big, peel, washed and cut into small cubes 

Oil: 2 -3 tablespoons 

Nigella Seeds: 1/2 teaspoon 

Green chilies: 2-3 ( slitted ) or as needed  

Tomato: One, chopped 

Salt: as needed 

Cilantro / Coriander: chopped, a handful ( optional ) 

Methods:

1. Take a pan, add oil and heat it up. Add green chilies and nigella seeds. Once aroma comes out and it will start spluttering add the potatoes. Fry it on medium heat. Add salt and cover it. 

2. Stir it again, once the potatoes are half- cooked add the tomato. Stir and let it cook until tomato is soft and mushy. 

3. Now add water as per your desired consistency, if you want it runny curry add little more water. And potato will absorb water after cooking also. Cover it and let it cook until potato is well cooked and mushy. Check seasoning and add chopped cilantro ( if you are using ). Serve hot with puffed luchis. 😊😊

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Radhaballabhi / Radha ballavi ( Bengali Stuffed Poori with Spiced Urad Dal )

Once upon a time, when my mother used to make Luchi (similar to famous Indian dish Puri) I used to wonder how she can make every one of them puff so nicely. Couldn’t imagine that one day I will also be popular as master of this expertise among my friend circle. Most of my friends in San Diego can die for Luchi with mangsher jhol (chicken or mutton gravy) or Aloo Dum and I feel very happy if I can prepare the same for them in my party. 

In Bengali Cuisine there are many version of this dish, where it’s stuffed differently. Some popular names from the list are Dal Puri, Hinger Kachori, Radha Ballavi.  A very thin line of difference exists among these variants and each one carries its own discernible features. Making stuffed Puri was not a cup of my tea, though I can comfortably make simple Puri. Recently I have mastered this skill too :-)

Today I have got a stuffed Puri recipe, called Radha Ballavi. It’s deep fried like a Luchi or Puri but stuffed with spicy urad daal filling. Often they are bigger than normal Puris in size and served with Dum Aloo or Cholar Dal.  This is a very traditional Bengali dish, commonly available in sweet shops, served as breakfast or snack. When north-Indian Naan or Kulcha didn’t become a status symbol in the Bengali wedding, this dish used to be served along with Pulao in most of the weddings. Generally, Radha Ballavis are not made at home and left to the professionals of the sweet shop or the Chef appointed to cook for a wedding. However, neither we can go to a sweet shop nor can attend a wedding in abroad, so only way to enjoy this tasty delicious item is making it at home.

Steps of making RadhaBallabhi 

Recipe of Radhaballabhi, serves : 2

Ingredients :

For dough

Maida / all purpose Flour : 2 cups

Ghee or white oil : 2 tablespoons 

Salt :  a pinch 

Luke-warm water : for kneading 

For Stuffing

Urad dal : 1/2 cup, washed and soaked for overnight 

Grated Ginger /Ginger paste : 1/2 tablespoon 

Green chillies : 1 

Hing ( asafoetida ) : a generous pinch 

Bhaja Masala : 1 tablespoon ( Take one dry whole red chili , two teaspoons of whole cumin seeds, and a half teaspoon of whole coriander seeds in a small pan, dry roast them till aroma comes up.Turn off the gas. Let it cool down and then dry grind to a fine powder. )

Whole fennel seeds : 1/2 teaspoon 

Salt : to taste 

Oil : for deep frying 

Method :

1. In a wet mixer grinder add the urad dal, ginger, fennel seeds and green chili. Make a paste. 

2. Heat one or two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan. Add hing , then add the Urad dal paste to it. Add salt and keep stirring the paste and cook it until a thick dough is formed. Once done, add bhaja masala and allow it to cool. Stuffing is ready. 

3. In a big bowl, take maida, salt, and oil and mix them well. Now gradually add water and knead it for at least 7 to 8 minutes and make it a dough. The dough should be soft enough but still firm. Once it is done, keep it covered with a damp kitchen towel. 

4. Make some big lemon sized balls from the dough. 

5. Flatten a ball into a disc of about 2 inches by using your palms.

6. Place one big teaspoon of stuffing in the center of the flatten dough, cover the stuffing by bringing all the sides of the disc together and make a ball again. 

7. Slowly press down with the help of a rolling pin to roll out the ball and get a small circle like puris. Prepare all the puris in the same way. 

8. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once the oil is hot, keep the flame on medium high, put the Radhaballabhi in the oil one at a  time. Toss it carefully and fry it with the spatula, till it becomes golden on both the sides.

9. To puff it up, you should lightly press down the sides of the Radhaballavi with the spatula and always control the heat of the oil by increasing or decreasing the flame.

10.  Remove the fried RadhaBallabhi with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot with Dum aloo / Aloor dom or Cholar dal. 

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Koraishutir Kochuri / Peas Kachori / Matorshutir Kachori o Aloor Dom (hing diye)

Koraishuntir Kochuri, which is also known as Motor shuntir Kochuri or Peas Kachuri is a winter delicacy, always served with some Alu r Dom, a perfect made-in-heaven combo!! Generally served as breakfast, sometimes along with a bowl of Bengali style Chana Daal, followed by a sweet bite of hot Jalebi. Being a late riser and staying with a health conscious husband, I never made this as a breakfast meal rather we relish it at our Friday night dinner. Earlier green peas were only available at winter season. I have nice memories of those old good days when me and my sister used to shell the peas when my mom was planning to make Peas Kachuri. These days you get frozen peas in supermarkets in any season, so no need to wait for winter any more to taste peas Kochuri.

It was not too easy for me to make this kochuri perfectly, even till last year I was struggling to puff my Kochuri. Now after some hours of practice, I mastered this skill. :) I used to make it once in a year but couldn't  remember how I did last time. But practice, the only thing which can make you perfect. These days I'm very much confident that my kachuri will come out the way I wanted. If it is your first try, control yourself from putting too much stuffing. It can come out when you roll them out and if the kochuri tears out, please do not deep fry that because the full stuffing would come out in the hot oil and it would absorb more oil too. So it's better, shallow fry them like parathas.

This time I am sharing two recipes together. Coming to Alur Dom, I'm very much thankful to my sweetest didi Simkie for this lovely yet simple recipe. I tried several types of Alur Dom earlier but this one is the yummiest one and very much hassle free.

Koraishuntir Kochuri with Hing diye Niramish Alur Dom (Peas Kachuri with Alu ki SabZi) : (serves -2)

For Peas Kachuri

Ingredients for Dough

1.       Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

2.       All purpose flour - 1 cup

3.       Oil - 2 tbsp for shortening

4.       salt - a pinch

5.       water

Ingredients for Stuffing

1.       Peas (shelled) or frozen - 1cup

2.       Ginger - 1/2 inch

3.       cumin powder -1/2 tsp

4.       salt

5.       sugar(optional)

6.       Green chili - 1 (optional)

7.       oil - 1-2 tbsp

8.       Bhaja masla: 1 tbsp

oil : for deep frying

Method :
   
     Step -1:

1. Make the dough:  Take all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix them together.

2. Add the 2 tbsp oil in the center.  Again mix the oil with flour mix nicely with your fingertips and then add water a little bit at a time to make a dough.

3. Knead them for at least 7 to 8 minutes. It should be soft enough but still firm.

4. Once It is done, cover with any moist cloths and keep it aside.

Step -2: 

5.      Make the Bhala Masla (dry roasted spices) : Take one or two dry whole red chilies depending upon your taste buds. One is sufficient for me.

6. Add 2 tsp cumin seeds in a small pan, dry roast them till aroma comes up.

7. Turn off the gas. Let it cool down and then dry grind to a fine powder.

Step -3: 

8. Make the stuffing: Take the peas, ginger, green chili (optional), 1-2 tbsp water in a blender and make a paste.

9. Heat one tbsp oil, add cumin powder, stir till oil separates. Then add the ground peas and salt.

10. Keep stirring to prevent it from getting burnt at the bottom.  Once it becomes dry, add the bhaja masala and mix it nicely. Turn off the gas.

Step 4: 

11. Make some small (coin sized) balls from the dough. Dig the center of the ball with your finger.

12. Stuff with the cooked peas and make it sealed nicely. Then give a round shape by rolling between your palms.

13. Slowly press down with a rolling pin to roll out the balls and get a small circle like puris. Repeat the process for the other balls.

14. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Once it's ready for frying, put the kochuri in the oil one by one. Toss it carefully and fry it with the spatula, till it becomes golden on both sides.

15. To puff it up, you should lightly press down the middle of the kachuri with the spatula and always control the heat of the oil by increasing or decreasing the flame.

16. Once it's done, transfer them on paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Serve hot with alur dom!!

Recipe of Hing Diye Alur Dom : (serves - 2 )

Ingredients:

1.       Baby potato – 6

2.       peas(frozen) - 1/2 cup

3.       cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

4.       Bay leaf – 1

5.       asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

6.       Ginger - 1/2 inch( grated or paste)

7.       Cumin powder - 1 tsp

8.       Kashmiri red chili powder- 1 tsp

9.       Red chili powder ( optional)

10.   Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

11.   Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

12.   Tomato - a small one (grated)

13.   Salt

14.   Sugar

15.   Oil - 3 tbsp

17.   Cilantro - chopped (few)(optional)

Method :

1.       Wash the potatoes and boil or microwave them with skin on and with salt for 10 mins or so. Once it is done, let them cool down and peel off the cover.

2.       In a small bowl, add grated ginger paste, cumin powder, kasmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, half tsp sugar. Mix with 2 tbsp water and make a paste.

3.       Take a pan, add the oil and heat it up. Once oil is read, add the bay leave and cumin seeds. When it begins to splatter, add asafoetida, after few seconds and the peeled potatoes.

4.        Smear them till they become brown colored. Add the masala paste with the potato, stir for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes off. Mix the grated tomato and stir continuously till oil separates.

5.       Add salt, sugar, half cup to a cup of water and cover it. Let it cook at medium flame until potatoes are soft and the gravy coats them nicely.

6.       Check the consistency and seasoning. Sprinkle the garam masala powder.

7.       Turn off the gas. Yeah it's ready!! Garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve hot with Kochuri / Puris / Paratha.

Note : If you like the snow-white colored Kochuris, use only all purpose flour, skip the whole wheat flour.

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