Lentil- Potato Curry (ডাল-আলুর চচ্চড়ি)

রেসিপিটি বাংলায় দেখতে এইখানে ক্লিক করুন।

Ingredients:

1. Masoor dal- 1/2 cup
2. Potato- 2 medium size (around 400 gm)
3. Onion (chopped)- 2 Tbs
4. Garlic (chopped)- 3 clove
5. Ginger (chopped)- 1 Tbs
6. Whole red chili- 2 pieces
7. Bay leaf- 1 pieces
8. Fenugreek seed - 1/4 ts (please see the notes below)
9. Fennel seed- 1/4 ts (please see the notes below)
10. Black cumin seed- 1/4 ts(please see the notes below)
11. Turmeric powder- 1/4 ts
12. Cumin powder- 1/2 ts
13. Red chili powder- 1/2 ts
14. Salt- 1 ts or to taste
15. Oil- 3 Tbs
16. Coriander leaf (chopped)- 1 Tbs (optional) 

Note: If you do not have the fenugreek seed, fennel seed & black cumin seed, you can use 1 ts Panch phoron (bengali 5 spices) instead of all those seed.

Procedure:

1. Peel and wash the potatoes and then  cut into long thin strips (julienne) and set aside. (if you want you can fry the potato in oil for around 5 minutes and set them aside)
2. Wash the dal and soak it in water for 4-5 minute and then drain the water.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan. Then add the fenugreek seed, fennel seed, black cumin seed, whole red chili, and bay leaf; let them temper for few seconds. Then add the chopped garlic, chopped ginger and chopped onion and fry them until the onion become soft and light brown in color. 
4. Now add the washed da, add turmeric powder, red chili powder & cumin powde, fry them for around 1 minute and then add around 2-3 cups of water.
5. Cook dal in medium heat until it is 6o% done. 
6. Then add the cut potato into the dal, stir it, then cover the pan and let them cook until the potato become soft (around 10 minutes).
7.  Spread the chopped coriander on top of the curry and turn off the heat.
8. Serve the curry warm with ruti, parata or luci.

Courtesy: 

Maksuda Hossain

(Portland, Oregon, USA)

Aloor Dom(আলুর দম)

Ingredients:

1. Small Potato- 500 gm/around 1lb
2. Onion - 1/2 cup
3. Tomato - 1 medium size
4. Whole cumin- 1/2 ts
5. Black mustard- 1/2 ts
6. Whole red chili - 3-4 pieces
7. Bay leaf- 2 pieces
8. Cinnamon - 2 pieces
9. Cardamom - 2 pieces
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 ts
11. Red chili powder - 1 ts
12. Cumin powder - 1/2 ts
13. Garlic paste - 1 ts
14. Salt- 1 ts or to your tast
15. Chopped coriander leaf - 2 Tbs

Procedure:

1. Boil the potato with pinch of salt. Then peel them and cut them to 2/3 pieces or you can break them with hand. Keep them aside.

2. Now heat the oil in a pan. When the oil is heated add the whole cumin & black mustard; and let them to splutter for few seconds. Then add the whole red chili, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf in the oil and fry them little bit. 

3. Then add the onion and tomato and fry them till soft. Then add the rest of the masala (garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and salt) and stir them until the oil starts to separate from masala. Now add the potato pieces to the pan and mix them gently with the masala (be careful while stirring the potato. over mixing may make the potato mashed and your dish will lost its traditional taste.) Add 1/4 cup of water, carefully stir the curry, cover the pan and then wait for few minutes.

4. Then uncover the pan and if water remains in the curry then wait for another few minutes so that most of water evaporate and the gravy become thick.
5. Now spread the chopped coriander on the curry and turn off the heat.
6. Your curry is ready to server. Enjoy with ruti, parata or plain rice. 

Mashed Potato(আলু ভর্তা)

রেসিপিটি বাংলায় দেখতে এইখানে ক্লিক করুন।

Ingredients:

1. Potato-2 medium
2. Whole Red chili/green chili-2 pieces or your choice
3. Onion-1 medium(chopped)
4. Mustard oil/Ghee-1 ts
5. Salt-1/2 ts or according to your taste

Procedure:

1. Boil the potato until become nicely tender. Remove from the pan and then allow to cool down. Peel and mash properly.
2. Heat little bit oil in a pan and fry the whole red chili for around 1 minutes.

3. Then mashed the whole chili and chopped onion with pinch of salt. Then add them in the mashed potato, add the mustard oil and salt; and mix all ingredients well. If you want, you can fry the mashed potato in little bit oil after mixing all things.
4. Enjoy with plain rice.

Potato Halwa(আলুর হালুয়া)

রেসিপিটি বাংলায় দেখতে এইখানে ক্লিক করুন।

Ingredients:

1. Potato- 4 (medium size)
2. Sugar- 1 cup or your choice
3. Ghee/Clarified butter- 3 Tbs
4. Milk -1 cup
5. Milk powder-2 Tbs
6. Cardamom powder-1/4 ts
7. Cinnamon powder-1/4 ts
8. Almond (chopped)- 2 Tbs+ 1 Tbs(for garnish)
9. Raisin- 15 pieces
10. Cocoa powder -1 tsp
11. Vanilla essence- 1/2 ts(optional)
12. Salt-1/4 ts

Procedure:

1. Wash and boil potato in medium heat until it become tender. Allow potato to cool down, peel and mash them.
2. Heat ghee in a pan in medium heat. Add mashed potato, milk, sugar, cardamom powder and salt, and stir well. Stir occasionally until the mixture start to thicken.
3. Then add milk powder, almond, raisin and vanilla essence, and stir continuously.
4. Stir it until ghee separates from the potato mixture. Then carefully divide halwa into 3 portions and take out 2 portions on 2 separate plates. (Remember to spread some ghee on plate so that halwa does not stick on the plate.
5. Add cocoa powder to the remaining halwa in the pan and mix it well in low heat. Then turn off the heat and take it out on another plate.
6. Now from the three portion of halwa make 3 thick roti. Then put cocoa powder mix portion on one of the white part and then put another white portion on the top of the cocoa portion. Then press little bit on them so that the three parts can stick together.
7. Cut it with a knife(you can spread some oil in your knife to cut your halwa smoothly) to your desire shape. Garnish with almond, raisin and serve.

Aloo Parata (আলু পরটা)

Ingredients:
For stuffing:

1. Potato- 1 medium size
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 ts
3. Cumin powder - 1/2 ts
4. Garam Mashala -1/2 ts
5. Chat Mashala - 1/2 ts (optional)
6. Green chili (finely chopped) - 1 ts or to taste
7. Onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
8. Coriender leaves(finely chopped) -1 Tbs
9. Oil - 1/2 Tbs
10. Salt - 1/4 ts or to taste

For dough:

1. Flour - 1 cup
2. Oil - 2 Tbs
3. Salt - 1/4 ts or to taste
4. Warm water

For frying:

1. Oil or Ghee -1 Tbs

Procedure:

1. Boil the potato and then grate it in a grater or mashed it finely.
2. Add Turmeric powder, Cumin powder, Garam Mashala, Chat Mashala, Green chili, Coriender leaves, Salt to the mashed potato and mix it well.
3. Now take the oil in a pan and heat it.
4. Then add the onion in it and fry for few minute so that the onion turn to be soft, then add the mashed mixture and fry it for 2 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and set aside the stuffing.
   
6. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
7. Add oil to the flour and mix it well so that oil is incorporated into the mix.
8. Slowly add warm water and knead it well to form a dough.

9. Divide the dough in medium sized balls. Press the ball to make a small flat circle. Try to keep the center part thicker than the border.
10. Take stuffing at a amount of little less than the ball size.
11. Place the stuffing on the center of the circle. Fold the dough around the stuffing completely enclosing it and pinch the ball end together. Dip the ball in the dry flour and spread it carefully by a rolling pin. If any air bubble remain within the ball when spreading the parata, pinch it slowly with a fork and press around the bubble and take it out. Try to spread the parata evenly.Do not make it too thin.
12. Now heat the frying pan and keep the parata on the pan and fry it for 30 seconds, then turn the other side and again fry for another 30 seconds and then add the oil to the pan and fry the parata in the oil finely until the both side turn to golden brown color.
13. Serve your parata hot with ketchup or chutny.