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 There
are many popular combinations that play upon the pairing of
potatoes and curds. Alu Chaat has a large enough die-hard
following and khatte alu more often than not rely on
yoghurt-based sauce like or thin gravy. We have also come across
interesting variations of dum alu ‘Kashmiri’,
Jaipuri`A0or Banarasi that use a large measure of the dairy — dahi,
paneer and malai to enrich the offering. Of
course, for the purists the only permissible cooking medium is desi
ghee — large dollops of it, and if this isn’t enough
paste of cashewnuts/almonds is often resorted to, along with
raisins and strands of saffron. The poor helpless potato can’t
protest even when draped in chandi ka varq and the diner
with an awestruck palate is more worried about clogged arteries
than anything else. The ‘special’ item on restaurant or
banquet menus has undeniable eye appeal but sadly lacks a
distinct identity. The ‘riches’ are truly wasted.
We love
potatoes — chips and all and never tire of exertions to
collect recipes that allow us to indulge. Of late, we have
concentrated on prescriptions that eschew onions, garlic and
tomatoes that make everything taste the same and prefer those
dishes that don’t go heavy on CTC (chilli, turmeric and
coriander powders).
Recently, a
friend — celebrated artist-photographer Dewan Manna from
Chandigarh — took us back on a nostalgic trip down memory
lane. He first treated us to very good wine and delectable food
prepared by his Man Friday Padam then made us yearn for
delicacies that were not on offer. Oh! The long lost joys of
simple mom-made dishes like dahi ke alu. Each family, to
paraphrase and take liberties with celebrated opening of Tolstoy’s
classic Anna Karenina creates its own version of culinary
bliss. We talked late into that night of Cabbages and Kings and
lip-smacking things.
We couldn’t rest till we had
rustled up a ‘recreation’ of ‘heard only’ recipe.`A0We
have great pleasure in sharing the recipe with our readers. It
can be enjoyed cold — at room temperature with rice or roti
and is a great addition to the light refreshing summer menu.
Just take care not to overload the dahi with alu.
The beauty is not meant`A0to be a filler.
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