' Aloo Achari' ( Potatoes tempered with pickle spices)...:)

This spicy North Indian dish is a gourmet's delight because of its strong and pungent flavor. Part of a typical fare in a farmer's house,  This  dish is a delicate balance of spicy flavours combined with sweet, sour and tangy tastes. If you love spicy food and pickles, this is the perfect recipe for you, this unique recipe combines tender potatoes with spices usually used to make Indian pickles. 
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve with  any Indian flat bread.or with fragrant Basmati rice.Pickle spice adds a mouthwatering aroma and flavor to any curry. Now enjoy it in my style recipe....:)

INGREDIENTS:-

• Whole Baby Potatoes is perfect for this dish  - 20 pieces   ( I used regular aloo cut in to slightly big cubes and cooked)
• 1 Onion finely chopped.
• 1 Tomato finely chopped.
• 1/2 Tsp Methi Seeds.
• 1/2 Tsp Mustard.
• 1/2 Tsp Somph or Fennel Seeds.
• 3 - 4 Dry Red Chillies.
• 1/2 Tsp Sugar.
• 1/2 Tsp Jeera.
• 1/4 Tsp Ajwain.
• 1/4 Tsp Kalonji (Onion Seeds).
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric.
• 1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder.
• 1 Tsp Coriander Powder.
• Salt to taste.
• 1 Tsp mango pickle 
• 2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste.
• 1/2 Cup Water.
• 5-6 tsp cooking oil
• 1/4 cup water
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• Cilantro/Coriander
  

Method:-

• 1. Cook the baby potatoes in little water adding a little salt. Poke each baby potato with a fork or a tooth pick.  This allows the salt to permeate the baby potatoes and helps in uniform cooking.
  2. Pat dry and set aside.
     
  3. Take a pan and add the dry spices(1/2 Tsp Methi Seeds,1/2 Tsp Mustard,1/2 Tsp Somph ,3  Red Chillies to a coarse powder) to it. We will dry roast these .Remember to keep the flame on medium low so the spices don't start to burn. Keep moving them around a bit in the pan to get them roasted evenly. Should take about 3-4 minutes.
     
  4. Now take them out of the pan carefully and into a mortar/a coffee grinder to give it a good few thwacks with the pestle.  you could just remove the spices onto the platform and then move a rolling pin over it for a few times. These dry roasted spices when roasted n then broken as such bring out the best flavour of the spices.
  5. Now special spice mix is ready.Set aside.
  6. Heat a Frying pan/kadai and add oil when hot, add jeera, kalonji , ajwain .
  7. Allow a few minutes to saute and immediately add the chopped onion and tomatoes,ginger garlic paste ,salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and sugar .
  8. Saute till the onions turn golden brown and the oil starts to leave on the sides. Now add our special spice mix to it. And stir till the spices are well coated with oil and are mixed well through with the onions. Cook for another couple minutes. 
  9. Now add the boiled baby potatoes (cubed potatoes) and stir in well.and mix well until the aloo is coated in the powders.
     
  10. Add the Mango pickle  and 1/4 cup water and cook until the Potato's  turns dry.
  11. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
  12. Serve with any Indian breads like naan, roti or parantha or even rice.You can eat those without any bread/rice also.
      
       

  Enjoy Your's Aloo Achari' / Potatoes tempered with pickle spices..!!!