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WE have such happy memories of aloo Simla mirch that at times when we are waxing eloquent about the ‘delicacy’ even childhood friends begin to suspect that we have flipped. They grudgingly concede that once upon a time so long ago stuffed Simla mirch used to be served as a special dish in hostel menus for vegetarians in lieu of meat, chicken or egg curry. It paled into well-deserved oblivion, they sneer, when competition in form of paneer arrived on the scene. The filling dispensed with potatoes and the classier casing was plump tomatoes. Little do these Philistines know what they have been missing. This is one veggie combo that hard-core carnivores relish in Awadh, Rohilkhand, Delhi and Bhopal. Naushad Miyan who was catering for us during a TV serial shoot treated us to such delightful aloo Simla mirch that his more than competently prepared korma often contributed more to the leftovers! The trick lies in perfectly balancing the proportion of potatoes and capsicum. No less delicate is the matter of treating the ingredients, the aloo should ideally be crisp and the capsicum crunchy. The spicing has to be light but with a distinct identity of its own. Anyone can churn out a tamatar-pyaaz-garam masala-coated atrocity that may appropriate the name but can’t make any legitimate claims to fame. In the recent past we have come across some shocking renderings of this classic. The ignorant believe that it is a foolproof quick fix when guests drop in unexpectedly and not much can go wrong. McCain’s spicy potato wedges are positioned as a snack and we think that this dish has a great future as an accomplished accompanist in this duet-that is more like a dainty trendy salad than a boring
subzi.
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