Punjabi Besan Aloo...never say never!!

Punjabi Besan Aloo (Gram flour coated potatoes)…from someone who hated almost every kind of aloo with a few exceptions – I could never stand the look, the taste, the smell…to someone who has now added a separate Potato Index in the blog, Boy oh Boy, I sure have come a long long way! They do say never say never…well, now I know! Hmm...who knows maybe one day, I will actually also end up eating the aloo in the samosa as well  J ...the recipe below is one of the few exceptions that I have always loved and I promise you, if you try, so will you!

Punjabi Besan Aloo (Gram flour coated potatoes)

Ingredients:

• Potatoes, 500 gms
• Besan/ Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour, 4 heaped tablespoons
• Amchur/Dried mango powder, ¾ tsp
• Heeng/Asafoetida, ¼ tsp
• Jeera/Cumin seeds, ½ tsp
• Kalonji/ Nigella/ Onion seeds ½ tsp
• Methre/Methi seeds/ Fenugreek seeds, ¼ tsp
• Coriander powder, 3 tsp
• Saunf/Fennel seeds powder, ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder, ½ tsp
• Kashmiri Red chilli powder 1 tsp (for colour)
• Red chilli powder ½ tsp (for heat)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2-3 tbsp (Typically made in Mustard oil, but you can use any oil of your choice)
• Fresh chillies, 2-3 
• Fresh Coriander leaves, to garnish

Instructions:

Boil potatoes, cool and peel.  Cut the potatoes into big cubes and if using baby potatoes just halve them.

Heat a flat heavy bottom pan on low heat and dry roast the besan till it changes colour to fairly light golden brown. Do constantly keep on stirring – it goes from the perfect colour to burnt in seconds.

Remove the besan from the pan into a bowl. Mix amchur into the besan and keep aside.

In the same pan, now heat the oil on low heat. Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and onion seeds.

Once the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the all dry spice powders – coriander powder, fennel powder, turmeric powder, both the chilli powders and salt. Sauté for 10 to 15 seconds on low heat.

Add the roasted besan (mixed with amchur, kept aside earlier) and mix well with the spices.

Add the cubed boiled potatoes. 

Mix and stir well to ensure all the spice powders and besan coats the potatoes well. (don't skimp on the oil, you need that 2-3 tbsp oil to get the coating right)

Sauté on medium heat for about 10 minutes till the potatoes start crisping up on the sides and besan is complexly cooked.

Add the fresh chillies; increase the heat to high and further sauté for a couple of minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature with paranthas or dal and rice.