Try Aloo Ki Thechwani – A Simple Pahadi Dish

You do not need a lot of fancy ingredients to make a meal that is so satisfying. Sometimes, all that you need is the same old ingredients lying in your kitchen, a little bit of love and nostalgia and a recipe from your childhood. Often, the most satisfying and comforting meals are the ones that we used to have as children and they capture all our blissful moments of childhood. These dishes are often very simple, made with the most basic things and yet they hit the right spot every single time.

Aloo ki thechwani is one such dish that is very famous in the Pahadi regions and is also extremely easy to make. Anyway, potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables that you can use and India has several different recipes to cook the perfect potatoes. In aloo ki thechwani, you smash the potatoes and that brings a different flavour.This is a dish that spells comfort and warmth. Let us look at a very simple and easy recipe for this authentic Pahadi dish.

Ingredients

• 5-6 baby potatoes
• 4-5 green chillies 
• 2 tomatoes, pureed 
• 6-7 garlic cloves 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder 
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 2 tsp coriander powder 
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds 
• Salt to taste 
• Coriander leaves 

Method 

• In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and green chillies. 
• Smash the baby potatoes using the pestle. 
• In a pan, heat up mustard oil and splutter cumin seeds. 
• Add the smashed potatoes and fry them. 
• Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes on low flame. 
• Open the lid and add the tomato puree. 
• Add the chilli garlic paste. 
• Next, add in the powdered spices and cook on medium flame for 5 more minutes. 
• Add a little water and salt. Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice. 

This simple smashed potato dish is amazingly comforting, with the mildest of spices and the best of flavours.