Aloo Bori Jhol / Thin Potato Curry with Bengali style Sund Dried Dumplings

Earlier I have spoken a lot of things about bori here. Bori is a typical Bengali style sun dried dumpling, which are made with lentils. The lentils are then made into a paste and after that whipped into a batter. Then they are given a tear drop like shape with the help of hand and sun dried until crisp. Later they are collected and preserved separately according to their flavours and type of lentils in jars to eat throughout the year. Bori / sun dried dumplings are generally made during the summer because of its abundance supply of good quality heat from the sun.  

Traditionally bori / sun dried dumplings were the responsibility of the female household, who made them from scratch, but now bori is generally a store bought item.

Bori / sun dried dumplings are really versatile, as you can use them in a number of ways. I generally add bori in my fish and vegetable currie. If you are eating veg, then go ahead and add bori in your vegetable curry, where it implants a beautiful taste and aroma. You can just fry the bori to eat with some rice and ghee. Then you can add them in your saags, as well, because there they give a nice crunch to the dish.

This aloo bori jhol / thin potato curry with sun dried dumplings are filled with boris and the tangy taste from the tomatoes. This is a feel good dish with a plate of steaming hot rice. A very  simple vegetarian dish. Although I love eating fish and meats to vegetarian dishes, this aloo bori is something I do a lot frequently than others.  Add a little lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt to it, and this tangy goodness will make you remind itself for a long time.

Aloo Bori Jhol / Thin Potato Curry with Bengali style Sund Dried Dumplings

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes

3 medium ripe tomatoes - chopped

1 inch stick of ginger – paste

2 green chillies – slitted

A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves - chopped

½ cup hinger bori / asafoetida flavoured sundried dumplings made of urad dal

½ cup motor bori / sundried dumplings made of split yellow peas

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp nigella seeds

Salt

1 tbsp oil

Method:

Peel the potatoes and then halve them lengthwise. Again halve those halved pieces lengthwise. Repeat this process another time.

Heat oil in a kadai / pan and shallow fry these potatoes until they start to become golden. Once done, take them out of the kadai / pan and keep aside.

Now shallow fry the two types of sundried dumplings separately. Once done take them out of the pan and keep aside.

Take away as much oil as you want and keep only that much, with which you want to cook your dish. I will recommend keeping 2-3 tsp of oil.

In that oil, add the nigella seeds. As they start to sizzle, add in the chopped tomatoes.

Add a little salt and cook till the tomatoes become all mushy and start to ooze out oil.

Add this point add the ginger paste and slitted green chillies. I did not have the Indian chillies, so I took one African chilli, got rid of the seeds and added them.

Mix in, stir and simmer for half a minute and add in a dash of water.

Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and give a quick stir. As the spices cook, take 1 and ½ cup of water and pour into the kadai / pan.

Cover and let it come to a boil.

Once the gravy bubbles, add in the fried potatoes and sundried dumplings.

Cover and cook till the potatoes are soft from inside. It will take 3-4 minutes as the potatoes are thinly sliced and fried, which has already cooked them halfway through. If you have not fried potatoes or your potatoes are still not half cooked, then add the bori / sun dried dumplings after the potatoes are cooked through, or else the boris will become completely mashed. After you have added the bori / sun dried dumplings, simmer for 2 minutes and then go to the next step. 

Finally taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add in chopped fresh coriander leaves, and put off the flame.