Punjabi Railway-Style Potato Curry (ਰੇਲਵੇ ਅਲੂ)
This simple potato curry is served on train station platforms across the Punjab, designed to satisfy the diverse dietary requirements of the region's many rail users.
Over 2 million people use the rail network across the Punjab every day; it’s a vital infrastructure for many Punjabis travelling from countryside towns into urban centres for work. Being one of the most diverse regions of Northern India, rail passengers also have a broad array of dietary requirements which can be challenging to cater for. Many train stations in the Punjab will serve tea and simple, universal dishes like potato curry, sometimes called ‘platform aloo’ (ਪਲੇਟਫਾਰਮ ਅਲੂ), which travellers can enjoy before, during or after their long train journey. Incidentally, this potato curry is vegan and minimally spiced. There is no dairy added - unusual for the Punjab - as the natural starch of the potato has creaminess covered. Despite the parsimonious nature of this dish, it’s actually quite delicious with basmati rice or paratha. There’s a time and place for simple food like this wherever you are. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3x)
500g potatoes, diced (medium starch such as red skin potatoes are great)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, mustard oil or ghee
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
2 tsps ground turmeric
2-3 green finger chillies, sliced
1x thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
2 tsps tomato puree/paste
500ml water
2 tsps salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsps dried mango powder (amchoor) - or 2-3 tsps lemon juice
WALKTHROUGH
First, let’s toast the spices. Place a saucepan onto medium-low heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil followed by the 1 tablespoon of ground coriander and 2 tsps turmeric. Allow the spices to sizzle for 10-20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the 2-3 sliced green chillies, the grated ginger and the 2 tsps tomato puree. Stir briefly in the hot spice-oil until fragrant.
Add the 500g diced potatoes and toss until coated in the spice-aromatic mixture. Add 500ml of cold water, 2 tsps salt and 1 tsp sugar and stir until well-combined. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes should become slightly fuzzy and broken at the edges, and the liquid should be slightly thickened but still soup-like.
Season the dish with more salt to taste, and add the 2 tsps amchoor/lemon juice. Stir through the dish, taking care not to rough up the potatoes too much.
Serve the aloo with rice or paratha - it tag-teams very well with other vegetable curry dishes too. Enjoy!
