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I have eaten this aloo jhol in my sister in law's home a few times, cooked by her husband who happens to be from Uttar Pradesh. I had no idea what it was called then but it turned out to be aloo jhol. Aloo jhol meaning a thin potato gravy has it's origin in Uttar Pradesh and the dish is cooked in the neighboring regions as well. It is one of the popular dishes to pair with pooris in the region and I guess it is their version of potato masala. At first glance, a south Indian style potato masala and this jhol may appear similar because of the ingredients used. However with a couple of extra additions, aloo jhol differs distinctively taste wise from aloo bhaji.
The dish is quite simple and easy in terms of preparation and uses just the basic ingredients found in any Indian pantry. Garlic can be included in the preparation though it was not added in the version I had eaten before. Add a little amchur / dry mango powder if preferring the curry to be a little tangy. I cooked the curry in a kadai, a small Indian version wok but the final stage of cooking potatoes can be done in a pressure cooker too for a quick version. Or the potatoes can be boiled in a microwave while the onions and tomatoes are getting cooked and then added to hasten the preparation. The consistency of the curry was thinner in my sister in law's place but mine looks thicker as I mashed a few potato pieces since my husband prefers the curry that way.
Ingredients:
2 - 3 tsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. ginger paste / finely grated ginger
1 green chilli, chopped
1 big or 2 small onions, chopped fine (I had about 2/3 cup.)
1 tomato, finely chopped (About 1/2 cup)
Turmeric to taste
Salt to taste
2 big sized potatoes (2 heaped cups of cubed potatoes)
Chili powder to taste
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
Cilantro to garnish
Directions:
* Heat oil in a pan and ad cumin seeds. When they start to brown add ginger and green chilli. Saute for few seconds and add onion. Cook until onion turns translucent and then add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes turn mushy.
* Add turmeric, salt, chili powder, roasted coriander powder to the pan and mix well.
* Next add peeled and cubed potatoes and about 2 cups of water to the pan. Cook on medium flame until the potatoes turn soft. Add 1/4 cup more water if needed at the final stages of the cooking.
* Finally sprinkle garam masala and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonigs if needed. Simmer for a couple of minutes more.
* Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.
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Here is another rich and creamy curry as part of the 'Gravy Curry' themed marathon this week. Vegetable makhanwala or veg makhani preparation is similar to paneer butter masala and I prepared it using no onion or garlic. One of my sister in laws who is no more with us was married to a north Indian and the food prepared in her home was typically north Indian style one. I got to learn the basic variations of gravies for north Indian style curries from her daughters who are younger to me, during my initial days of cooking. The tips from them came to use for my yesterday's shahi paneer and today's curry.
The curry is cooked using 'makhan' aka butter and hence the name veg makhani, though one can do away with oil if counting calories. Similarly cream can be omitted too if not preferring rich curries. However butter and cream enhance the flavor of the dish and the curry would be a great choice when having company. The gravy is tomato based one here and the cashews added along lend a rich base to the curry. One wouldn't notice the absence of onions in this makhani recipe and the curry tastes absolutely delicious in spite of it. This curry makes a perfect dish for those who abstain from onion or garlic. The vegetables that can go into the dish are potatoes, beans, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower and peas. I omitted cauliflower and capsicum this time. Paneer or soy chunks can be added to make it more nutritious.
Ingredients:
3 cups mixed vegetables ( I used diced potatoes, diced carrots, beans cut into 1 inch pieces and peas.)
3 ripe red tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger
1 tbsp. cashews
1 tbsp. butter / oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds / caraway seeds
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
Water as needed (About 1.25 to 1.5 cups)
Salt to taste
1 tsp. crushed kasuri methi / dried fenugreek greens
3 tbsp. cream
1/2 tsp. garam masala
Minced cilantro leaves to garnish
Directions:
1. Pressure cook to 2 whistles or microwave the vegetables adding enough water. Save the water used to cook the vegetables to use later.
2. Grind together tomatoes, ginger and cashew together to a fine paste. (Garlic can be added if preferred.)
3. Heat butter / oil in a pan and add the ground tomato paste, turmeric powder and chili powder. Saute until the raw smell leaves and the fat / oil starts to leave the sides of the pan, about 10 minutes.
4. Add about 1.5 cups of water to the tomato paste. (Use the water used to cook the vegetables plus extra water if needed to make about 1.5 cups.) Cook until the gravy thickens, about 6 - 8 minutes.
5. Add the cooked vegetables, salt, kasuri methi, and garam masala to the pan and mix gently. Stir in the cream finally and mix well to combine. Turn off the stove.
6. Garnish with cilantro if preferred. Serve it with rotis / rice.
This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Gravy Curries' theme.
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