Aloo ka Chokha

Aloo ka Chokha is a simple, healthy and tasty mustard flavored vegetarian side dish. It is typically served along with hot steamed rice. Perhaps it is one of the most popular bachelors vegetarian recipe due to its simplicity, fast preparation time and also the taste, as it can be prepared without too much of ingredients in less than 10 minutes, especially when you have boiled potatoes available just like that at home.

Aloo ka Chokha is a mustard based potato recipe, which is usually consumed with steamed rice or even roti. However, it can also be used to make bread sandwich and can also be replaced with tikki for the aloo Tikki burger. This recipe can also be prepared by altering the mustard taste with jeera flavors by adding either roasted jeera (cumin powder).

I usually prefer to prepare this kind of simple and healthy recipes at home at every alternate day because it saves my time and also it is not too fancy or complexed, unlike the other recipes. I personally love this Aloo ka Chokha recipe which I prepare very frequently as and when I have to rush for my work and also do my cooking chores at home. I also prepare a chapatti roll along with this Aloo ka Chokha and pack it for my office lunch box.

I have not added any extra spices except the few basic ones so that the flavor of the mustard oil’s pungent smell remains intact in the recipe. While the recipe of Aloo ka Chokha is extremely quick and simple, yet there are few things to remember before you would start for its preparation process.

Firstly, boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker properly, you can boil the potatoes and also leave it as it is in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or you can also keep the potatoes boiled to prepare the chokha at any point of time when you require preparing some side dish in a hurry.

Secondly, no need to cook the potatoes in the kadhai for more time, after tempering the spices, toss and mix the mashed potatoes with the spices which will leave a great flavor of the potato and mustard intact.

Thirdly, no need to add water, as it can make the potatoes look mushy and feel tasteless.

Here follows the recipe with very easy instructions—

[Veg]

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian/Bengali

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Potato- 3
2. Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
3. Dry Mirchi- 1 big
4. Onion- 2
5. Green Chilli- 2
6. Tomato- 2
7. Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
8. Mustard oil- 3 tsp
9. Salt

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker with 2-3 whistles or until it is cooked properly.
2. Cool the potatoes, peel the skin and semi-mash them. Keep it aside.
3. Heat a cooking wok or kadhai. Add oil in it.
4. Once the oil is heated, put mustard seeds and dry mirchi.
5. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add finely chopped onion, green chili. Sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Add chopped tomato, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt as per taste.
7. Now add the mashed potatoes and mix them well. Cook for two minutes and its done.

Aloo ka chokha is ready to be served along with steamed rice. Although it is a very regular recipe in most of the kitchen, sometimes we tend to miss few important ingredients in it. I bring to you a very simple method of this recipe. It is vegetarian and can be cooked at any point of time, whenever there’s a little time you have to prepare anything and also if you have any leftover boiled potatoes at home. Enjoy cooking, serving and eating!!

Paromita Pramanick ©2017. All Rights Reserved.