Alur Chop, Muri and the Rain

We were totally snowed in on Friday, yeah that’s how we welcome Spring in North-East, and so we sat home and watched Eklavya. The visuals were very rich and stunning and the scene that caught my particular fancy were the black thunderous storm clouds rolling over the palace.

It reminded me of the “Kal-Boishakhi” or “nor’westers” in the plains of Bengal, the fierce rain storm which arrives welcoming Boishakh, the first month of Bengali New Year(the month coinciding mid April-May). It is unlike any rain I have seen here, strong and fierce it arrives with a storm heralding the impending rain.

The storm sweeps through the plains sweeping away leaves, twigs, the fine brown dust and all that is old and is to be discarded. The ominous dark clouds, gathering in the sky and wind rustling up was sign enough for us to rush and bring down the still damp clothes left out to dry on the clothes line on the roof top. Just as the wind became stronger and the window shutters banged fiercely, fluttering helplessly, we rushed down from the roof and ran trying to close the windows, trying to keep the storm at bay. And then the rains came, arriving in all grandeur, the fat round pellets going pitter-patter till there were so many of them that rain was the only sound you would want to hear to. The fresh smell of warm scorched earth thirstily drinking up the rain mingled with the Rain sounds made you wait and pine for this rainstorm and that is how I still remember the Rains

The rain was beautiful if you were safely ensconced indoors, you own home being the best bet and you didn’t have to worry about wading through knee-high water to catch the over-crowded bus. Whether indoors or outdoors all you wanted once you were home on such a rainy day was a cup of hot tea and Alur Chop and Muri. Later at night you would sit down to a dinner of steaming hot Khichuri with some sizzling Beguni or Fried Hilsa or at least the omlette. The rains pouring down are synonymous with steaming hot Khichuri in Bengal and you cannot think of one without the other.

So Friday we took advantage of the snow and had a similar menu. Alur Chop and Muri followed with a dinner of Khichuri and Beguni

Alur Chop or Poatato patties dipped in batter and fried is the most primitive Bengali fast food, before the advent of the ubiquitous Egg-Roll and Chowmein stalls. Every traditional para(a locality something in the same essence as a development) in North Calcutta had a Chop er dokan (small store selling potato and other such fritters) or more popularly known as Telebhajar Dokan (Store which sells fried stuff) serving millions of Bengalis their daily dose of Alur Chop, Chingrir Chop (Shrimp & Potato Chop), Mochar Chop (Banana Flower Chop) and the works. It is really difficult to emulate the taste of the roadside Alur Chop because you lack the basic ingredients like the dust the grime and the blackened oil which every popular shop swears by. But then that’s what makes Indian Street Food so unique and tasty.

D made the Alur Chop and it was pretty close considering the sanitized environment and we had some great Muri Makha (Mamra/Rice Krispes mixed with onion, green chillies etc.) to go with it. Later at Night we had Khichuri and Beguni (Eggplant Fritters) and thus ended the Snowy Evening

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Alur Chop ar Muri

The new more spicier version

What You Need

Made 12-13 alur chop

Potatoes ~ 3 large potatoes boiled
Red Onion ~ ½ of a medium chopped fine
Garlic ~ 1 fat clove chopped fine
Ginger ~ 1/4" ground to a paste
Cumin Powder ~ 1 tsp
Green Chillies ~ 6 chopped fine
Salt

To make the dipping batter
Besan ~ 2 cups
Salt

Oil ~ for frying

How D Did It

Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash them
Heat Oil in a Kadhai/Frying Pan
Add the chopped garlic, the green chillies and the onion
Sauté till the onion wilts and is pinkish brown
Add the ground ginger and jeera powder and just a pinch of turmeric
Add the mashed potatoes
Add salt and mix the masala well with the potatoes
Let this cool
Make small balls of the mashed potatoes which is now spiced up with the masalas
Flatten them between your palm and place them on a plastic wrap as in the pic
Make a batter with 2 cups of Besan, Water and Salt. Add the water gradually as you don’t want the batter to be runny. The batter should be tight as it has to form a coating on the potato patties. I asked D to measure the water he was adding but he said no self respecting cook does that so go figure. Also he did not add any sodium-bicarbonate to the batter which I normally do.
Heat Fresh Oil in Kadhai/Frying Pan. The patties would be deep fried so add enough oil
Dip the patties in the batter, so that the batter uniformly coats the patties
Gently release the dipped patties in the hot oil and hear the sizzle. Keep heat at medium
Fry till both sides are golden brown
Remove with a spoon/chalni which has slots/holes so that the excess oil drains out
Drain excess oil by placing the fried patties on a kitchen towel

For Muri

In a bowl take some Muri/Mamra/Rice Crispies
Add finely chopped onion and green chilies. If you want you can add sev too
Add mustard oil and a little oil from your pickle jar
Mix well

Enjoy the Alur Chop with Muri and a steaming cup of tea.

Khichuri

What You Need

Serves 5 moderately hungry adults

Rice ~ 1 & ½ cups. I used Basmati Rice
Red Masoor + Yellow Moong Dal ~ 1 & ½ cups. Both the lentils in ratio of 1:1

Red Onion ~ 1 large chopped in thin slices
Tomato ~ 1medium chopped
Green Chillies ~ 5-6
Ginger paste ~ 3 heaped tbsp of fresh ginger paste
You can add veggies like largely cut cauliflower florets, baby potatoes and baby onions. I had none at home and it was snowing so that’s the story

For Phoron
Red Chillies ~ 4
Bay leaves ~ 4

Ghee ~ 1 or more tsp
Garam Masala ~ ½ tsp
Turmeric ~ a pinch
Salt
Sugar ~ ½ tsp

How I Did It

Wash & Soak the rice and the lentils in water
Heat Oil in a deep pot
Add the dry red chilies and the Bay Leaves
Let the dry red chilies hiss and sputter and then add the onions
Fry the onions till they are pink and soft
Add the Ginger paste, the tomato, the green chillies and sauté. If you are adding veggies add them at this point
Add the rice & the lentils. Do not add the water at this point
Add the turmeric and sauté for a couple of minutes
Add about 8-10 cups of water
Add salt, mix well and cover and cook
Check occasionally and see if you need more water
Add sugar when the rice and the lentils are cooked
Add the Garam Masala Powder and the Ghee
Served with the Brinjal Fritters, Fried Hilsa, papad or Omlette in a typically Bengali home

How D Did Binjal Fritters

Slice up the Eggplants, in circles and then halve the circles as in the pic

Dip in Batter (same batter as alur chop) and fry in hot oil

All that oil might make you feel guilty so wait for a snowy or rainy day and take advantage.

In my previous post there was a reader(PR) who mentioned his wife is expecting and craving "chatpata" food. If he is reading this, this alur chop is for his wife and all my best wishes along with it.

A list from fellow bong blogger Bongopondit about what to eat in Kolkata -- When In Kolkata...



Trivia: Didi’s(Mamta Banerjee) failing health had an unexpected casualty — the food vendors. Nobody —not Trinamul leaders, not the public — seemed interested in alur chop and jhalmuri. Till Thursday afternoon, food sellers had been making a killing.(From December issue of The Telegraph regarding Mamta's fast in Shingur). Just to show how much importance is given to alur chop in Bengal, funny huh ?