From Lucknow’s Tokri Chaat to Moradabad’s Moong Dal Chaat, Uttar Pradesh is home to so many unique street foods that it merits a whole different day of discussion. One such hidden gem of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh is Aloo ke Barule. This delicious street food is made of baby potatoes that are coated in a paste made of besan, chaat masala, arrowroot powder, red chilli powder etc and fried in mustard oil. Now, if we were to compare it with Delhi’s famous aloo chaat, you may find many similarities, but the two differ greatly in terms of overall flavour, texture and even in appearance. Aloo ke Barule has a deep red hue, which almost serves as a disclaimer that this street food is not meant for the faint-hearted.
Aloo ke Barule may be a local sensation in Aligarh, but very few know of the snack beyond. A street food vendor who claims to be the first person to bring the snack to the city of Agra is going viral on social media for his tantalising preparation. The video posted by YouTube channel ‘Are You Hungry’ has clocked in more than 650k views in just two days of going live.
“Chota chota aloo laate hai, isko besan, aur ajanta paste ke naam se isko dip kiya jaata hai. Uske baad halka sa boil hota hai uske baad kadhai me sek dete hai (we take these baby potatoes, and dip them in a paste made with besan and ajanta paste and boil it a bit before finally roasting it),” the vendor can be heard saying in the video. Further in the video he also says that he uses “pure kachchi ghani sarso ka tel (pure mustard oil)” to cook his potatoes since the time he started his stall. The gorgeous colour is not just red chilli powder, a little bit of edible food colouring is also used. Once the potatoes are half-fried, he cuts them in half and refries the potatoes, which ensures that the potatoes are crispy to the core. The crispy potatoes are transferred on a plate and tossed with masala and dhaniya-adrak-imli chutney and served hot with a toothpick. You can watch the complete video here.
Didn’t that make you drool a little? You are not alone. The comments section is buzzing with people who want to try the delicacy. Have you ever tried barule? Do let us know, also if you make barule at home, do not forget to share your recipes with us.