Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Aloor Chop or Alur Chop

Aloor Chop, Alur Chop, Potato Fritters

Aloor Chop | Bengali Potato Fritters

Alur Chop or Aloor Chop, spicy discs of mashed potatoes that are coated in a batter of chickpea flour and deep fried are the best Bengali snack with cups of ginger tea on a rainy evening. They sell like hot cakes in the very popular "telebhaja" shops in bengal.


"Knock, Knock"

"Who's there?"

"Apple"

"Apple, who?"

"Orange"

"Orange, who?"

Thus it goes with names of whatever fruits available at home. And then

"I am a fruit salad"...with peals of laughter

Right on cue we start laughing too. We have to. For that my folks is a joke in LS's realm

She has a whole repository of Knock, Knock jokes. She makes them up. None of them make sense. They are not even funny. But we laugh.

It really doesn't matter. Laughing does though.


Aloor Chop and Muri, Alur Chop, Potato Fritters

Yesterday while watching the Oscars Big Sis asks me,
"If you were a director of a very important movie and one day something very important had to be done for the movie and also the same day something very important needs to be done for the family, what would you choose ?"

I was stunned by the question. These are the kind of questions I would expect at the last page of Ladies Home Journal, not from a 7 year old. I am waiting to see if she spurs such stuff at Daddy too.

AlurChop1


I made Aloor/Alur Chop (Potato Fritters) after a long long time. I make these things so rare that sometimes I am not even sure the taste lingering in my memory is real or laced with imagination.Should it taste like this or should it taste like that ? The that is illusionary.

This time I made it more spicy because I thought I prefer it that way. The husband's version is a tad less spicy. He says, mine are pretty good but not like Shoshthida's. Shosthida, the neighborhood telebhaja guy, spiced the potato less.

Makes sense. Shosthida, with all my apologies and admiration, had his perspiration, diesel fumes and dirt under his nails to make up for less spices he used. I perspire too, but not when the temp is at 45F and central heating is just making us comfortable.

Deep frying however makes up for anything I lack. With a bowl of muri on the side and a steaming cup of tea you won't ask for anything more. Ok, a "knock, knock" joke perhaps to complete the scene.




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Alur Chop -- Potato Fritters




What You Need


For the Chop/Patties

Potatoes ~ 4 medium
Onion ~ 1 medium chopped fine(about 3/4th of the large ones found here in the US)
Garlic ~ 3 cloves minced
Ginger ~ 1 tbsp minced
Green Chili - 4-5 chopped fine(adjust to taste)
Chopped fresh Corriander leaves ~ 1-2 tbsp if desired

Roasted Cumin Powder or Bhaja Moshla  ~ 2 tsp
Bhaja Moshla -- To make this dry roast 1 Tbsp of cumin seeds, 1 Tbsp of coriander seeds and 2 Dry red Chilli until fragrant. Cool and roast to a powder. Use 2 tsp of this. Store the rest in an airtight spice jar. you can sprinkle it to spice up anything you are making.

Red Chili Powder ~ to taste
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Pink Salt (Beet noon) -- to taste
Salt ~ to taste
Mustard Oil ~ a few drops(optional)


For Batter

Besan/Chickpea Flour ~ 1 cup
Rice Flour ~ 1 tbsp
Baking Powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Salt ~ to taste
Water ~ 3/4 cup


For Frying

Plenty of Vegetable Oil


How I Did It


The Patties

Boil the potatoes thoroughly in a pressure cooker or in a pot of boiling water.Once cooked, drain excess water, peel and let it cool for 30 mins.
Now mash them using your fingers or a masher.
Note: Drain the water well from the potatoes before mashing. The mashed potatoes should not have lumps so make share to mash well

Heat 2 tsp Oil in a Kadhai/Frying Pan. About 1-2 tsp should be fine.

Add the chopped garlic, minced Ginger, the green chillies and the onion.All of these should be chopped real fine so that you do not bite into anything but the potato when eating the chop.

Sauté till the onion wilts and is pinkish brown.

Add all of the masala to the mashed potatoes.

Add the Roasted Cumin powder or Bhaja Moshla, Red Chili Powder, Chat masala to the mashed potatoes.

Add salt and mix the masala well with the potatoes. Add a few drops of Mustard Oil to the potatoes if you want. Taste and check for seasonings and adjust flavor .

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 lightly greased surface. They should be really flat and NOT thick like alu tikki.


Batter and Frying

Make a batter with the ingredients under Make Batter. 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.

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.

Sprinkle some Chat Masala or kala namak/black Rock salt(beet noon) on the patties while serving

33 comments:

  1. Looks absolutely delicious. We make potato 'bajji' by simply slicing the potato, dipping it in similar batter (with chilli pdr, coriander, salt) and it tastes delish too :-)

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  2. @ Wow! Thanks for posting this... I will finally get to eat authentic 'alur chop' in Bengaluru.

    @ Writerzblock: I have had potato bajjis too... they are not a patch on 'alur chop. Eat both... and see the difference...

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  3. Writerzblock -- I like "potato bajjis" too, have had slightly thick ones. Have not made them yet, I keep worrying, potato may not get cooked :-)

    Roshmi -- I think anything fried is a guilty pleasure and each is good in its own way

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  4. "I think anything fried is a guilty pleasure and each is good in its own way"

    ... Agreed.

    However... having tasted both... I was only stating what my taste buds felt :)

    ... You have to pair a bowl of muri with 'alur chop'. Potato bajjis won't go with it...

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  5. Those aloor chops looks sooo yummy,prefect evening snacks..

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  6. Knock Knock ....
    Who .... Alu Chop
    Welcome home :)
    Silly one I know .... but I luv your version of Alu chop. And the marriage of alu chop with muri ... perfect !!

    I had posted a slightly different version long time back
    http://satrupa-foodforthought.blogspot.com/2010/10/alu-chop.html

    Luv ur's ...

    Cheers,
    Satrupa

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  7. My two year old says the same "Knock Knock" and i have to reply back "is it Pingu?"For him,pingu is the inspiration of crazy "knock knock".
    Thanks for the the alur chop recipe.,i will try to do this weekend(anyway weather says this weekend will be with snow shower..ideal for alur chop and muri.

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  8. Sandeepa,

    Loved the analysis behind Shoshtida's tasty chops. We can never recreate that ambience at home, lol. Loved the Benagali newspaper holding Muri and Alur Chop. After coming to Bangalore, never had Alur Chop and Muri in the evenings. Must try this over the weekend. But I prefer Beguni or Piyazi over Alur Chop.

    Regards,
    Seema
    amchi-bong-konnexion.blogspot.com
    seemabbas.blogspot.com

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  9. ekdom. maayer eggroll never tastes as good as Bapi's. maa says it's all because of the dirt and sweat and.....I never let her finish the list.

    khub sundor lekha, as always.

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  10. Looks totally delicious..luv the idea

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  11. Visiting your blog after many many months, good to see the aloo chop. my Mom's favourite aloo chop diye muri bhaja.

    Happy to follow you again

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  12. I was hoping it was a fruit salad!! Hahaha!! :D :D

    Bong Mom, how could you have suspected a girl who cracks such jokes may not be a foodie!! LS.. tussi chha gaye!

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  13. I have neve rhad this but jus tlooking to the pic i am drroling.

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  14. Sandeepa, what will we ever do without these little human beings? I have had enough knock knock jokes to last me a lifetime and more but the pleasure it gives these kids is immeasurable. Your alur choop is just delicious looking.

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  15. aloor chop and then on Bengali news paper, I will never complain not getting "sashti da's" chop anymore!! and those knock knock jokes, glad that other mother out there laughs just like that too!!

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  16. Sandeepa, lovely recipe :).

    Btw, is your husband from Behala (Kolkata) by any chance as we have a famous Shosthida there as well ?

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  17. Ahhh...Alur chop aar muri...
    its like "Ram milaye jodi"
    Opurbo!

    shotti ajkal khawa hoyna eishob bhajabhuji....kintu recipe ta porei jibhe jol eshe gelo...some dormant taste buds woke up...

    ;-)
    cheers,
    DR

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  18. LS already knows Knock Knock jokes? Wow!

    How do you get the potatoes to form into patties? Doesn't seem to work for me.

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  19. Sra

    Mashed potatoes --> make small ball -->pat between your palms --> voila, a patty.
    If you are unable to, maybe there is too much water content ? Dry it up the by sauteing in the pan with the onion etc.

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  20. Absolutely delicious..love it

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  21. Alur chop is perfect for the cold weather, never made this way!
    The little one talks should giggle the whole family :)

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  22. I like the look of the aloor chop and will make it soon because I am mystified by the pairing with muri! Seems a perfect evening snack.

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  23. Amar pur ta te chine badam o chai. Ar mustard oil e bhaajle thik Shostida'r moton hoto. :-)

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  24. Amar bhishon priyo telebhaaja. Khub miss kori para-r telebhaaja dokanta. :)

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  25. wow, so nostalagic, I love alu chops from back home, you reminded me of that, just perfect.

    I can so understand where you are coming from, as my 6 year old asks such questions as well :)

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  26. agree with roshmi here, the bajji is nowhere compared to aloo chop! love to read ur posts :) missed watching the oscars :( was busy with my 5 mo..

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  27. I simply lurrrv any kind of chop, alur chop being my favorite. Have made them at home but I do miss them from Paraar Tele bhajar dokaan...
    The chops look delicious in the picture...am drooling!

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  28. Hi Sandeepa, it looks yummy, and I can bet it tastes too... reminds me of the ones we bought frequently @ Lake Market..But loved the photo composition, the muri, and of course the Banglaa kagoj.... Hope your little ones will learn to appreciate the spirit and authenticity of the spread, when they grow up

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  29. Yeah Yeah - daughters, bring on the hypothetical guilt! Only they can think of such questions!

    I didnt know Alur chop had besan in it.....my daughter probably would since she eats a lot of it in her best friend's house

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  30. Nice. I make alur chop all too often. Here is a vegetarian version of alur chop. I don't use onions or galic in this recipe. Hope you and your readers like it.

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  31. One for LittleS:

    Knock Knock!

    Who's there?

    Olive!

    Olive who?

    Olive you!!

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  32. Loved it!!I am new in cooking street and this recipe was very easy to follow. Thou made a small adjustment as my parents don't like bason. Made the batter with maida mixed with chilli powder, turmeric poweder and salt. Was yummy nonetheless :D

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  33. Bangali telebhaja kheye kheye morlo...

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