How To Make Aloo Ki Subji Without Onion, Tomatoes And Yogurt/Dahi

Aloo Ki Subji needs no introduction. This is very staple in every Indian home and is cooked in various styles- aloo matar tamatar, dahiwale aloo, rassewale aloo, bhandarewale aloo or puja vale alu, sukha aaloo and what not. Today's aloo ki subzi is perfect lockdown recipe because it is aloo ki sabzi without tomatoes, onion or even yogurt (curd).

Aloo Puri is a very popular simple breakfast or brunch item that is served in almost all Indian homes on the weekends. But it is also something royal that is served to guests in weddings (shaadi), birthday parties or even house warming parties. The fact is that -the combination of raswali (gravy) tari (a bit oily) aloo ki sabji and puri is a synonym for celebration .Period!

How to make Alloo Ki Subji without Tomatoes/Curd? Infact this version tastes so good that you will stop using tomatoes in your raswali (liquid) potatoes curry all together. This kind of alu ki subji is very popular in Mathura and Banaras-also called as Dubki Vale Aloo or Ghaat Ke Alu Or Banrasi Aloo. It is mainly served with urad or moong daal puri or kachori with some green chillies on the side.

So if you are stuck in the home with some potatoes and wondering what to do with it-worry not, just make this version. Serve it along with ajwain puri or palak puri or just simple parathas. This aloo ki sabzi is cooked with basic Indian spices, and is prominently flavoured with hing. You will need to boil potatoes beforehand for this curry to get that good thick traditional dubki vali subji. This type of rasile tari aloo ki subji is also satvik because it has no onion and is also without garlic. Let's see how to make this.

Ingredients:

2 medium size potatoes/aloo boiled

3 tablespoons oil

2 dry red chilli

1 teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera

1/4 tablespoon asafoetida/ hing

1/4 tablespoon turmeric powder/haldi

1 tablespoon coriander powder/dhaniya

Red chilli powder to taste

Salt to taste

1 tablespoons dry fenugreek leaves/kastrui methi

1/4 teaspoon garam massala

1 teaspoon dry mango powder/amchur (see notes)

1 teaspoon cornflour/ararot or chickpea flour/besan

3 cups water

Method:

Roughly break the boiled potatoes with your hands.

Heat oil in a kadai. When it is hot add cumin seeds, dry red chilli powder and hing. Cook till cumin crackles. Turn the heat to low.

Add in turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, coriander powder, garam massala and dry mango powder. Just sauté the spices till it is coated in the oil.

Add potatoes. Mix well and let potatoes cook for 1 minute. Keep stirring.

Add the water and cook till water comes to boil

Mix the corn flour with two tablespoons water and make the paste. Add this paste in the curry and cook again covered  for 4-5 minutes.

Finally throw in kasturi methi. And serve.

Notes:

You can use lemon juice if you do not have dry mango powder.

Aloo Matar Ki Subji, Restaurant Style

Nothing beats home cooked food...better if it’s made by your mother. Agree? 7.30 pm and I was back from my accounts tuition class. Maa was in the kitchen, in a printed blue chiffon sari, cooking dinner for us. Very carefully she added spices and gave it a mix. Quickly she kneads the dough and started making piping hot parathas. Oh that moment, when I close my eyes, I can see it all. Quick boil in the curry and she gave a spoon and asked to taste it. I grabbed the spoon and tasted aloo mutter ki subji, she waited for my answer...with spark in my eyes I replied-maa its super yummy, just like restaurant, how do you cook it?  Those little moments between a daughter and a mom, I wish I could freeze them forever.

Years later, she taught me how to make Aloo Mutter ki subji, like hers. Every now and then when I cook this subji, I wish I was a young girl who could go back to those days again. That’s about cooking, it engulfs you in memories and then when you bite into it, everything becomes better. Restaurant style aloo mutter ki subji (potatoes and peas curry) is one of those memorable dishes that happens once a while in my kitchen...it is a not every day curry, you need time and patience to cook this.

[More aloo subji (potato curry) recipes- aloo tamatar ki subji for kachori,  sukha aloo puri,  rassewale aloo,  aloo matar ki subji in cooker,   aloo channa]

So what makes a perfect restaurant style Aloo Mattar Ki Subji?

• Consistency-it is not dry (sukha) and it is not very watery (rassewali, jholwali) either; it is the balance of two, where you add water only to coat the veggies.
• Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasturi methi)- you have and have to serve this curry with sprinkle of  kasturi methi.
• Ginger and garlic paste- this is a must too. For the authentic taste, you need to add ginger garlic paste.
• Tomato puree- for the restaurant style, tomato puree is what you need; there must be no chunks of tomatoes.
• Garam Massala- Garam massala is a hot spice mix and it is one of the most important ingredients to make the perfect restaurant style curry.

So to master the perfect taste, please follow the above steps- not that complicated-isn’t it? So, lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 medium size potatoes, boiled and chopped

1/2 cup green peas/mutter boiled

2 medium size tomatoes

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida/hing

1 bay leaf/tej patta

1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1 and 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder/lal mirch

1 teaspoon coriander powder/dhaniya

1/2 teaspoon garam massala (recipe here)

Salt to taste

1 cup water

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi (see notes)

Method:

In a blender, blend tomatoes with 4 tablespoons of water, garam massala, coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder into puree.

Heat oil in a wok/kadai. When hot, add cumin seeds. Let it crackle.

Add, bay leaf and asafoetida.

Add ginger garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat to slow.

Add tomato and spices puree. Mix. Cover and cook till tomatoes paste become red in colour and oil starts appear on the sides. Approximately for 8 minutes.

Add salt, chopped potatoes and peas. Mix. Add 1 cup water. Cover and cook again for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cook again for 5 minutes, the spices must have coated the potatoes and peas. If you see it is water, let it boil for more time.

Garnish with kasuri methi and serve.

Notes:

Cook it on slow heat, this ensures that spices are well blended with potatoes and peas.

You can add chopped coriander leaves as well.

This is a bit on spicy side, feel free to reduce the quantity of red chilli powder as per your taste.

Kasturi methi (dried fenugreek leaves) is easily available in any Indian grocery store. I used MDH one.  

Serving suggestions:

Serve with any Indian bread- roti, parathas, puri or naan.

It is simple in process, but the taste is really elegant, so why not serve in parties.

Goes well with rice as well.

For Punjabi thali, serve it with rice, makke ki roti, dal makhani and some chilli pickle.

For gujarati thali, serve it with palak puri, keri nu ras and dhokla.

For rajasthani thali- serve it with jowar ki roti, marwadi Bharwa Bhindi. and parathas.