Notun Alu'r Dom – Bengali Style New Potato Curry

Step 1: Prepare the Potatoes

Take 1 kg of new baby potatoes. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly under running water to remove the thin skin. Place the cleaned potatoes in a pot.

Step 2: Boil the Potatoes

Add 1 liter of water and 30g of salt to the pot with the potatoes. Cover the pot and boil the potatoes until tender for 40 minutes.

Step 3: Prepare Aromatics

While potatoes are boiling, slice 125g of onions. Roughly chop 100g of tomatoes. Slit 2-3 hot black chillies and 3-4 long thin green chillies. Mince 10g of garlic.

Step 4: Start the Gravy Base

Heat 50g of mustard oil in a pan. Add 2 dried red chillies, 1 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced onions to the pan. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and lightly browned.

Step 5: Add Tomatoes and Spices

Add the roughly chopped tomatoes to the pan. Cover and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down. Add the minced garlic, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, and 1/2 tsp coriander powder. Add the slit hot black chillies. Sauté the spices on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture reaches a jam-like consistency and the oil separates from the masala.

Step 6: Season and Combine

Add 7g of salt and 10g of sugar to the spice mixture and mix well. Drain the boiled potatoes and add them to the pan. Mix thoroughly to coat the potatoes with the gravy. Pour in 450ml of hot water.

Step 7: Simmer and Finish

Cover the pan and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. While simmering, grind 3-4 green cardamom pods, a 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, and 2-3 cloves into a fine powder for fresh garom moshla. After 20 minutes, add the whole green chillies and 50g of green peas to the curry. Stir gently. Finally, add the freshly ground garom moshla and mix well. Serve hot with puris or luchis.

• The skin of new potatoes is quite thin and scrubs off easily, so no need to peel them.

• New potatoes are very hard and need to be boiled for a long time with plenty of salt to ensure they are tender.

• Slowly soften the onions, letting them brown, to build a rich flavor base for the curry.

• Cook the spice mixture until it reaches a jam-like consistency and the oil separates, indicating the spices are well-cooked.

• Add green peas towards the end of cooking to retain their bright color and fresh texture.