When potato met tomato

The dry alu tamatar can be prepared in a jiffy and ranks high on the taste index

Not so long ago, one of the staples at home and at the dhaba on the highway used to be alu-tamatar. The dish at the dhaba mostly came with thin gravy, with both potatoes and tomatoes cut in halves and quarters. It was redolent with gosht ke masale — tej patta, laung, dal chini, badi elaichi etc. At home, the recipe was simpler, garlic-ginger paste, along with the onions, paired with haldi, dhania powders were enough to make it irresistible; especially in the winters with red chilli tarka adding to the zing. One doesn’t recall when this simple delight faded away almost simultaneously from our kitchens and the public domain. The palate jaded with imported exotica and daring fusion often pines for forgotten friends, and that’s the reason we felt deeply indebted to a friend who treated us to alu-tamatar albeit in a different avatar.

This the dry dish can be ‘cooked’ in a jiffy, and ranks high on the taste index. Do try this one with phulka, rice and dal, or even as sandwich filler. As far as we are concerned, this desi ghar ki ‘murgi’ wins hands down with its Vilayati cheesy bowl the competition with Lyonisse or any other katali Awadhi or Lahori.

Alu Tamatar Sukhe

Ingredients
Potatoes (medium-sized, parboiled) 3-4
Tomato (large, diced) one 
Garlic-ginger paste 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
Jeera powder ¼ tsp
Haldi powder ¼ tsp
Dhania powder ¼ tsp
Cheese spread 1 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Green chillies (diced, deseed if you prefer mild) two
Salt to taste

Method
Peel and slice the potatoes in ¼ inch thick rounds. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic ginger paste and stir-fry on medium heat briskly for 15 seconds. Put in the tomatoes, along with the powdered spices. Continue stir-frying for about a minute till the tomatoes are reduced to a mushy pulp. Now put in the cheese spread, potatoes and green chillies. Reduce flame to simmer and mix well to ensure that the tomato masala coats the potatoes evenly and specks of green chilli are well distributed. Sprinkle ½ tsp water to scrape the tasty brown residue sticking to the pan. Take off the stove, and enjoy hot or at room temperature.

HOME