I had a very busy week which involved a lot of exhausting travel to the beautiful town of “Port Hedland” in the Pilbara region of Western Australia for work.
Port Hedland is the hub of mining in WA with all the major resources giants having their operations there. It is a very different experience as everyone and everything seems different here. As my plane hovered over the town all I saw was “red dirt” everywhere which I was told was due to the high content of “Iron Ore” in the soil. I got an opportunity to stay at a mining camp and see some stunning and very different countryside almost in the middle of nowhere.
We did eat food at the camp but it wasn’t great food that made me happy. Mind you there were a lot of choices to choose Lamb, Beef, Chicken, etc and usually, I would have had a ball eating myself to death but for some reason, I did not crave anything. Maybe it was all the traveling or the humidity or the lack of sleep that got to me and I did not enjoy the food I ate at all.
Now I am a foodie and when you take a foodie in the middle of nowhere we get grumpy and frustrated. I came back home with a bad back and a sore head wanting to sleep the remainder of the day over. As the next day was Saturday I thought I would sleep in but again my body clock just never listens to my body and I was awake at 6 am sharp, not sure about what to do.
With all the travel and not-so-great food I decided to lift my mood by making some “Dhansu Aloo ki Sabzi” with some hot deep-fried Pooris (Indian fried Bread). The word “Dhansu” literally means “Kickass”. And believe me this curry is a complete Kickass version of any “Aloo Ki Sabzi” you have eaten in your life.
It is a family favorite introduced to us by my aunt who lived in “Patna” in India for several years and used to have it there. This very simple and easy curry becomes kickass because of the “Curd/Yogurt” that is added to it. The Tomatoes and the curd work their magic to make it tangy and sour at the same time with the hot fluffy Pooris soaking up all the juices with every bite you take.
My friends and family are crazy about this recipe and everyone who has tried it has sworn by its deliciousness. I also love the fiery color of this curry but trust me it is anything but spicy. Make it once and if you cannot make Pooris just have it with plain Bread and see how you will never eat “Aloo ki Sabzi” in any other but the kickass way.
Recipe: (Preparation time 30 minutes, serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
4 – 5 medium-sized Potatoes Boiled till cooked, peeled, and roughly chopped into smaller pieces
2 Green chilies
3 medium Tomatoes blanched in hot water
1 tsp fresh Garlic paste
2 tbsp plain Curd/Yogurt (at room temperature and optional)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chili powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Freshly chopped Coriander
Method:
1) In a blender add the Garlic, Green Chilies, Yogurt, and blanched Tomatoes and blitz to a smooth puree. The puree would be runny due to the Yogurt and Tomatoes, don’t be tempted to add any more water to this.
2) In a deep-bottomed pan add the Oil, once hot add the Cumin seeds, and Asafoetida. Gently add the puree being careful as it will splutter really badly staining everything.
3) Cover and let it cook on a medium flame till the oil starts to separate. This will take around 10 minutes or so.
4) Add the Salt, Red Chili powder, and Cumin powder and then add the boiled Potatoes and let them cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes.
5) We love the curry a little watery so I add a cup of hot water and let the curry boil away for another seven minutes or so before turning off the heat. Serve with hot Pooris garnished with freshly chopped Green Coriander.
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