Ranga Aloo diye Phulkopi
In many recipe books and restaurant menus, all of us come across Aloo Gobi. This is a Bengali variation of it that I love much more. It is a colourful medley of vegetables and the spice seeds add a delicious titbit of flavour. The sweet potato is the real surprise element replacing the aloo (potato), a slow-release carb and adds simultaneously a light sweetness to the dish. Mustard oil is traditionally used to cook this dish for its distinct pungency & flavour. But you can use rapeseed oil or any other oil of your choice.
When buying sweet-potatoes, always select the slender medium ones. The very fat ones take longer to cook, and some people find the fibre in these types heavy to digest.
To serve 4- 1 tsp=5ml/ 1 tbsp=15ml/ 1 cup=225 ml
| 2 tablespoon oil (mustard or rapeseed oil if possible, for the original taste) | |
| 1 teaspoon panch phoran Bengali Five Spice (mix ¼ tsp each of: yellow mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds plus 1 star anise- petals broken up) | |
| 1 tbsp finely diced / grated ginger | |
| 200g/ 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, washed & scrubbed, cut into half/ quarter, then into 2cm cubes | |
| 400g/ 1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into small florets | |
| ½ tsp turmeric | |
| ½ tsp salt/ to taste | |
| ½-1 tsp chili powder (hot or mild to suit your taste) | |
| 2 large tomatoes, cut into small cubes | |
| ½ cup fresh or frozen peas (or edamame beans) | |
| 1 tbsp fresh coriander chopped |
Ranga Aloo diye Phulkopi In many recipe books and restaurant menus, all of us come across Aloo Gobi. This is a Bengali variation of it that I love much more. It is a colourful medley of vegetables and the spice seeds add a delicious titbit of flavour. The sweet potato is the real surprise element...
| 1. | Choose a heavy-bottomed pan or wok with a fitting lid. |
| 2. | In a pan/wok, heat the oil, when hot (if using mustard oil, it should just about start to smoke) add in the panch phoran. |
| 3. | Fry till the mixture begins to crackle, lower heat, then add the ginger and stir lightly to fry it. |
| 4. | Add in the diced sweet potatoes and the cauliflower florets. Mix through. |
| 5. | Sprinkle a tbsp of water on the sides of the pan to create steam. Cover and cook on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. |
| 6. | Add the turmeric, salt, chili powder, and tomatoes. Stir lightly and mix well. |
| 7. | Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 7-8 minutes. |
| 8. | Remove the cover and add the peas. Cover & cook further for 2 to 3 minutes. |
| 9. | The sweet potatoes should be just about soft, the florets cooked but firm. |
| 10. | Turn of the heat, remove to a serving bowl. Garnish with the coriander. I sprinkle a little cinnamon powder for finishing it. |