Topic: Bombay Aloo Group Test

[chriswg]

I love Bombay Aloo and the thought of finding the perfect recipe is too good an opportunity to turn down.

Please can I have volunteers and recipe nominations on this thread. Solar - can you recipe be amended just be removing the spinach element or does it need tweaking elsewhere?

Razor, Luke, Ramirez - you are on the list. Solar, are you up for it? Anyone else let me know.

We will all be using par boiled Charlotte potatoes and the Taz base and spice mix. Other base sauces are available.

The test list currently looks like this:

Solars - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5553.msg54196;topicseen#msg54196
Dips - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4511.0
976Bar - See below
UC - See below
Chewytikka - See below
One from a 'proper' book - Authentic Balti Cookbook

976bar:

Here's my recipe for Bombay Aloo. Unfortunately, I don't get the time to help out with the tests, wish I had more time to help out.

 Ingredients
3 tbsp oil
1 and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 fresh green chilli
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed and diced finely
4 tbsp butter
6 potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut into 2 inch cubes
4 tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method
Heat the oil and butter in the pan, low to medium heat otherwise spices will burn, add the spices and fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the potatoes making sure they are completely coated in the spice mixture. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, then stir in the garam masala. Cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just soft inside.

For Aloo Gobi, cook some cauliflower, cut into small stems and add to the pan with the potatoes and cover with the spice mixture.

UC:

Here is the UC one - it is for Sag Aloo but the spinach is left out):

0.5 tsp g/g puree
0.5 tsp tandoori masala
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp cumin
a touch of curry powder
small handful of sliced garlic
gravy
potatoes (1-2 medium, pre-cooked)
coriander

Add 1 - 2 curry spoons of oil to a pan on medium head (assume he means chef spoon?)
Add sliced garlic until it starts to brown
Add the spices and stir round the pan - if it starts to stick add 0.3 ladle of gravy
Add 6 - 8 chunks of pre-cooked potato
Add 1 - 2 ladles of gravy and boil it down, stirring with the tip of the spoon
Add a good pinch of chopped coriander and give it a final stir

Anyone who has read the book will know that accurate measurements and timings are non-existent! I've transcribed as best I can. I reduced the spices from 0.7 tsp to 0.5 tsp to make up for the lack of spinach.

Chewytikka:

BIR/TA Bombay Aloo
It is the simplest and quickest of side dishes
Especially if you pre heat the cooked potatoes in the micro!

Method
Heat a chef's spoon of oil, quickly add tsp g&g paste, tsp mixed powder, touch of chilli powder,
chef's spoon tomato dilute, a handful of small chopped onion and green pepper.
Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for 10sec, add potatoes and toss to coat, 10sec
add 2 chef's spoons of warm base sauce and Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for
a minute or so, until the sauce clings and coats the potatoes (dry) add fresh chopped coriander, mix and serve.
(If you want it to be wet, just add more base sauce.)

This is the basic BIR Bombay Potatoes! anything else added to this makes it something else.
e.g. cumin seeds = Jheera Aloo, which I like.
and my favourite, Aloo Manchurian, which is Indo/Chinese and amazing.

Recipes are here and there, Method, Technique and Timing is everything!

Bombay Potato (Bombay Aloo) - Balti Cookbook

A hot and slightly dry dish (meaning it's not swimming in sauce - but still moist in texture) which can be served as a side dish or a main course.  It includes chunks of potato, coated in a flavoursome mixture of spices and is best served with a paratha or chapatti.

Makes about 3 portions as a side dish.  About 2 portions as a main meal:

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

3 tbsp vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 green chillies, finely chopped (leave the seeds in)

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp of spice mix, aka; Mix powder, curry masala, spice blend

60ml of base sauce

1 tomato, diced

Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Boil the potatoes for about 5 minutes (so they're slightly cooked, but not liable to fall apart) then rinse in cold water, drain in a colander, and put to one side.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok, and fry the garlic until it starts to brown.

Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften.

Then add the cumin seeds, stirring constantly, followed by the chillies.

Reduce the heat, add the chilli powder and spice mix, stirring constantly (so the spices don't burn) for about 1 minute.

Then add about half a cupful of hot water, and bring to the boil.

Continue to boil for about two minutes, stirring constantly.

Then add the potato, and base sauce.

Stir gently - making sure you don't break the potato.

Add the tomato, and cook for a few more minutes.

Sprinkle generously with fresh coriander leaves, and slightly mix it into the dish by giving it a gentle stir.

Serve.

Please note, this is not my recipe and I've only added it as a suggestion for the imminent group test.

If anyone feels offended by my publishing of this recipe or feel that I have broke the copyright law, then please don't hesitate to let me know, and I will remove the post.

[solarsplace]

Hi

I'm up for it!

I have a separate recipe for Bombay Aloo, Will try to get it posted perhaps this weekend, need to finalise a couple of things.

CHeers

[Ramirez]

Having quickly scanned the site, there's several Bombay Aloo recipes. I've found the following: -

Solar's - yet to be posted
Dip's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4511.0
Stephen's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2745.0
Pforkes' (same thread as Stephen's) - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2745.msg30918#msg30918
lordtopcat's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2374.0
Pete's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1777.0


Not sure which we choose from the above or if anyone is aware of other recipes not posted on this site.

[chriswg]

Well found Ramirez. I dont know what other peoples thoughts are but I've never had Bombay Aloo that doesn't contain base sauce. 3 of those recipes look very dry to me. We could include one of the dry one for the sake of the test.

I have the UC recipe that I dont think has been posted yet.

[Ramirez]

All the Bombays I've had have been quite moist, although not as runny as Dip's which seems to be swimming in sauce. My preference would be the more moist ones, but hopefully people can recommend the ones they have tried (I've yet to try a Bombay recipe from this site).

[976bar]

Here's my recipe for Bombay Aloo. Unfortunately, I don't get the time to help out with the tests, wish I had more time to help out.

 Ingredients
3 tbsp oil
1 and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 fresh green chilli
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed and diced finely
4 tbsp butter
6 potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut into 2 inch cubes
4 tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method
Heat the oil and butter in the pan, low to medium heat otherwise spices will burn, add the spices and fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the potatoes making sure they are completely coated in the spice mixture. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, then stir in the garam masala. Cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just soft inside.

For Aloo Gobi, cook some cauliflower, cut into small stems and add to the pan with the potatoes and cover with the spice mixture.

[chriswg]

Looks good Bar, we'll add it to the test recipes.

Here is the UC one - it is for Sag Aloo but the spinach is left out):

0.5 tsp g/g puree
0.5 tsp tandoori masala
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp cumin
a touch of curry powder
small handful of sliced garlic
gravy
potatoes (1-2 medium, pre-cooked)
coriander

Add 1 - 2 curry spoons of oil to a pan on medium head (assume he means chef spoon?)
Add sliced garlic until it starts to brown
Add the spices and stir round the pan - if it starts to stick add 0.3 ladle of gravy
Add 6 - 8 chunks of pre-cooked potato
Add 1 - 2 ladles of gravy and boil it down, stirring with the tip of the spoon
Add a good pinch of chopped coriander and give it a final stir

Anyone who has read the book will know that accurate measurements and timings are non-existent! I've transcribed as best I can. I reduced the spices from 0.7 tsp to 0.5 tsp to make up for the lack of spinach.

[Malc.]

Chris i'm curious as I don't eat Bombay Aloo generally, but when I have tried it, it's always been hotter than saag aloo. Is it right that a bombay aloo is simply a saag aloo with the spinach left out?

[976bar]

Chris i'm curious as I don't eat Bombay Aloo generally, but when I have tried it, it's always been hotter than saag aloo. Is it right that a bombay aloo is simply a saag aloo with the spinach left out?

Hi Axe,

Pretty much. It will of course vary from restaurant to restaurant, but sag aloo, aloo gobi are just additives to Bombay aloo.

[chriswg]

This was my thoughts also. I guess some places might do it differently but for speed I would guess most BIR's will have a standard Bombay Aloo recipe that they can change depending on what is needed to be added (cauliflower, spinach e.t.c.).