During Navratri or any other fasting period, people often tire of monotonous dishes such as kuttu flatbreads, fried donuts, or dry vegetable side dishes made from potatoes. In such a situation, an ideal alternative is potato and kuttu flour curry (aloo-kuttu kadhi pakoda), which has a sweet-sour, spicy, and light taste. This dish is prepared without using legume powder, turmeric, onion, or garlic, making it not only very tasty but also easily digestible.
When fresh yogurt and a mixture of kuttu flour are simmered with rock salt, green pepper, and flavored oil, and then crispy potato and kuttu donuts are added, the flavor of this dish becomes twice as rich when served with samak rice. The simplest recipe instructions are presented next, including chef's secrets!
For the donuts:
1/2 cup kuttu flour
2 boiled potatoes (mashed)
1-2 green peppers (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon rock salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Peanut or pure ghee cooking oil
For the curry base and dressing:
1 cup fresh sour yogurt (well whisked)
2 tablespoons kuttu flour
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
8-10 curry leaves
1 inch ginger (grated)
2 dried red chilies or green pepper
Rock salt to taste
1 tablespoon ghee (for tempering)
Finely chopped green peas
Preparing the donuts: First, you need to make the donuts. In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, kuttu flour, green pepper, cumin, and rock salt, adding a little water until a thick batter is formed. Heat the oil or ghee in a pan and fry small donuts until golden and crispy, then remove them.
Preparing the curry base (secret trick so the curry doesn't curdle): In another vessel, mix the whisked yogurt, kuttu flour, rock salt, and 2 cups of water. Whisk thoroughly with a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
Making the tempering: Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a pan or pot. Sauté the cumin, curry leaves, grated ginger, and chopped green pepper in it.
Cooking the curry (main life hack): Now pour the prepared yogurt and kuttu mixture into the pan. Keep the heat high and stir constantly with a spoon until the first boil appears. (Constant stirring prevents the yogurt from curdling).
Adding the donuts: After the boiling starts, reduce the heat and cook the curry for 8-10 minutes so that the kuttu flour is completely cooked. Then add the prepared donuts and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serving: Garnish with a drizzle of cumin and dried chili prepared in ghee, as well as finely chopped green peas. Serve hot with samak rice or kuttu flatbreads!