‘Luchi ar Aloor Dum’. Not sure whether I should consider this a single dish or a combination of two dishes, since the emotion derived from this combination is so inseparable and so indistinguishable. Also, the wires in my mind go completely haywire when I am in the vicinity of luchi aloor dum, not because of the weakness towards the dish, but the complex that I develop, as I lose the confidence of being the quintessential Bengali when I secretly compare myself with Luchi Aloor Dum. For this very dish itself is so synonymous with adda, robibaar and overall Bangali. Never mind, as one plate of luchi aloor dum is satiating enough, to take away all the exertions from doubts and confusion.
This recipe of Bengali Niramish Luchi Aloor Dum or Niramish Luchi Aloor Dum recipe (owing to my limited exposure to aloor dum in Kolkata, I am not sure if this is the popular Bengali style Aloor Dum Recipe), is somewhat a strictly owned recipe, passed on from my grandmother to my mother and finally to me, surprisingly through the language of relishing over training. And with this possession of knowledge, I finally acquired the entrance in the esteemed society of bhodromohilas, ever-ready to conquer the world of bhodroloks with robindro shongeet, Satyajit Ray and the Sunday Breakfast of Luchi Aloor Dum.
This breakfast recipe, which can even be extended to lunch and dinner (literally it can be extended to lunch as adda and golpo over luchi aloor dum on Sunday cannot be imagined less than 3-4 hours), is a very common Sunday or special occasion breakfast for Bengali households. And, I am very sure, all my readers are somehow well acquainted, at-least with the emotions of luchi aloor dum.
So, if it is just a matter of giving it a try, why not now.
Want to have the healthier version of luchi? Try the ‘Poori recipe from ‘Poori Chana Halwa’
Recipe: Bengali Niramish Luchi Aloor Dum
Preparation Time: 35 minutes (approx.) Cooking Time: 1 hour 25 minutes (approx.) Equipment used: A grinder, a vegetable knife, a bowl to wash and soak potatoes, a pan, a bowl to knead dough, rolling pin and board, a turner, deep fry strainer Serves: 6 luchis and 4 bowls of aloor dum
For Aloor Dum:
Ingredients:
- 12 medium sized potatoes
- 1/8 cup poppy seeds
- 1 green chilli
- ¼ & 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons mustard oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 red chilli
- 2 cinnamon sticks of 0.2 inch X 1.5 inches
- 2 tablespoons dried coconut powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon jeera powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 inch X 0.5 inch ginger
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ghee
Method:
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Peel and cut them to four pieces each and keep them soaked in clean water
- Keep the potatoes aside and roast poppy seeds in a hot pan
- Grind the roasted poppy seeds with green chilli, using ¼ cup water
- Heat a pan and add 4 tablespoons mustard oil
- When the oil is hot, temper the oil with bay leaf, red chilli, cinnamon sticks and dried coconut powder
- Add the ground poppy seeds paste to the above ingredients and fry the paste for 2-3 minutes
- Add the cut potatoes to the fried paste, followed by turmeric powder, jeera powder, garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon salt
- Stir and mix the above-mentioned spices with the potatoes properly
- Cover the pan and let the potatoes cook on sim
- After some time uncover the pan and add little water to avoid burning of spices/masalas
- When the potato pieces are tender, add around 1 cup water, followed by crushed ginger, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt
- Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon ghee
Wash the potatoes thoroughly.
Cut the potatoes into 4 pieces each and keep them soaked in clean water
Roast poppy seeds.
Grind poppy seeds with green chilli & water
Heat oil in a pan and temper the oil with bay leaf, red chilli, cinnamon sticks and dried coconut powder.
Add the ground poppy seeds paste and fry the paste for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cut potatoes to the fried paste.
Add turmeric powder, jeera powder, garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon salt and mix them well.
Cover the pan and let the potatoes cook on sim.
Uncover the pan and add little water to avoid burning of spices/masalas
When the potato pieces are tender, add water, followed by crushed ginger, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt
Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon ghee.
For Luchi:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup maida/ all purpose flour
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons refined oil
- Hot water to knead the dough
Method:
- Combine the flour with 2 tablespoons refined oil
- Knead the dough with hand by adding little hot water at a time until the dough is firm
- Cover the dough with a muslin cloth and keep it aside for approximately 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, uncover the dough and take out little piece of dough, roll it with both the hands to make small ball. Repeat the process for the entire dough
- Take one dough ball at a time and flatten the dough with a rolling pin and board to give it a round shape of around 10cm
- Heat 1 cup oil in a pan and deep fry the flattened doughs one after another with a strainer
Take 1 cup flour.
Combine the flour with refined oil.
Knead the dough with hand by adding little hot water at a time.
Cover the dough with a muslin cloth and keep it aside .
Uncover the dough and take out little piece of dough, roll it with both the hands to make small ball. Repeat the process for the entire dough
Flatten the dough with a rolling pin and board to give it a round shape of around 10cm.
Deep fry the flattened dough one after another.
Tips:
- Cut them into halves if the potatoes are small
- Soak the potato pieces in water, so that they do not change colour
- For the first round grind the poppy seeds dry. Add water from second round onwards
- Ensure that the dough is neither too soft nor too firm. You can check by pressing the dough with your finger. It should be soft enough that your finger reaches the bottom of the dough, but your finger should come out easily from the dough without getting stuck
- When the dough is flattened, ensure it is neither too thick nor too thin
