Aloo Mangodi ki Sabzi with Curd

What do you do when you don't have fresh vegetables in your fridge and you are too lazy to go shopping for veggies? I am sure, you first think about what options can you try in place of vegetables and then check your kitchen cupboards for such items as rajma, chhole, soya chunks and of course, mangodi. This happened with me yesterday.

I had gone out of town, to Kolkata, and when I returned a couple of days back, I was welcomed by the empty vegetable basket of my refrigerator. Too tired (and lazy!), I just bought potatoes and tomatoes from the shop outside my place. As usual, it did not have fresh looking vegetables so I avoided buying any of them. Now what? It was then when I decided to make Aloo Mangodi ki Sabzi (आलू मंगोड़ी की सब्ज़ी.)

I had brought mangodis from Ramkrishna Mission Ashram in Kolkata. Ramkrishna Mission Ashram works for empowerment and development of rural women through Self Help Groups and sell the things made by these groups through a shop located inside the Ashram Campus. In fact, they have a school and many other socially oriented activities that they conduct here but for now, I would concentrate on my recipe of aloo mangodi ki sabzi. You can, however, have a look at this picture of Ramkrishna Mission Ashram in Narendrapur Kolkata from where I bought 'Dhonepata Bodi' or the mangodi made with coriander leaves. It has a serene environment and I suggest you visit the Ashram if you happen to go to Kolkata someday.

I was just eager to explore these mangodis made with dal and coriander leaves. Yes, I have never had such mangodis made with धनिया पत्ती! Also, I did not want the same old taste of mangodi sabzi. I wanted something more tasty, thanks to the all tasty foods that I had in Kolkata and the way they made my taste buds active!

I wanted something different. So I searched the net and came across the recipe of mangodi ki kadhi (मंगोड़ी की कढ़ी) but I did not have that much of curd with me so I decided to use a little curd and besan to make my mangodi ki sabzi. And you know what? It came out fairly well. So, I am sharing this with you here- my aalu mangodi ki sabzi recipe with a twist!

Recipe of Aloo Mangodi ki Sabzi with Curd and Besan

Get these ingredients:

• Mangodi (मंगोड़ी)- 1 cup
• Potatoes (आलू)- 4-5 medium or 2 large
• Tomatoes (टमाटर )- 1 large or 2 small
• Ginger (अदरक)- 1 inch piece
• Curd (दही)- 2 tbsp
• Gram flour (बेसन)- 1-2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds (जीरा)- 1 tsp
• Bay leaf (तेजपत्ता)- 1
• Turmeric powder (हल्दी)- 1/4 + 1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder (धनिया)- 1/2 +1/2 tsp
• Chili powder (मिर्च)- 1/2 + 1/2 tsp
• Salt (नमक)- to taste
• Coriander leaves (धनिया पत्ती)- for garnishing
• Oil (तेल)- 1-2 tbsp

Make Aloo Mangodi ki Sabzi

• Chop the potatoes in 1 inch pieces
• Blend the tomatoes and ginger and make its paste. Keep aside
• Beat the curd and add the besan, salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp each of chili and coriander powder to this curd. Mix well and keep aside
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.
• Fry the mangodi till they turn light brown.
• Take the mangodi out from the pan and keep aside
• If you are left with no oil in the pan, pour 1-2 tsp oil into the pan otherwise, in the same oil, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds
• Once the cumin seeds start crackling, add the potatoes
• Stir fry the potatoes on medium heat till they become light gloden
• Now add the dry spices- 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp each of chili and coriander powder
• Fry for 1-2 minutes. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp water at this stage so that the spices get mixed with potatoes well.
• Now add the tomato-ginger paste and stir well to coat the spiced potatoes.
• Cover the pan and cook the potatoes on medium flame. Keep stirring frequently.
• When you can no more smell the rawness of tomatoes or when you see the oil leaving the sides of the pan, add the curd-besan mixture
• Stir well to mix everything well.
• If needed, add some water.
• Cover the pan and cook the potatoes in curd besan gravy on medium flame. Keep stirring frequently.

• When the potatoes are almost cooked (but still need to be cooked further) and there is no raw smell of besan, add the fried mangodi.
• Cover the pan and keep cooking on low or medium flame (as per your patience). Keep stirring frequently, though.
• Once the potatoes are cooked fully and the mangodi is soft, put off the flame.
• Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve the tasty alu mangodi ki sabzi with roti, paratha or puri!

Aloo Mangodi ki Sabzi Recipe in Hindi

• आलू को एक इंच लम्बे टुकड़ों में काट लें 
• टमाटर और अदरक को मिक्सी में पीस लें
• दही को फेंट लें और उसमे बेसन, नमक, एक चौथाई चम्मच हल्दी, आधा चम्मच मिर्च पाउडर, १/२ चम्मच धनिया पाउडर मिला कर अलग रख लें 
• कढ़ाई में १ टेबलस्पून तेल डालें और मंगोड़ी को हल्का भूरा होने तक भून लें 
• मंगोड़ी को कढ़ाई से निकल कर अलग रख लें 
• अगर कढ़ाई मे बिलकुल तेल नहीं बचा है तो १-२ चम्मच तेल डालें नहीं तो जो तेल बचा है उसी में तेजपत्ता और जीरा डालें 
• जीरा  चटकने लगे तब आलू डालें 
• आलू को मध्यम आंच पर सुनहरा होने तक भूनें 
• अब इसमें सूखे मसाले डालें- १/४ चम्मच हल्दी,१/२ चम्मच मिर्च पाउडर, और १/२ चम्मच धनिया पाउडर
• एक दो मिनट तक मसालों के साथ आलू को भूनें, अगर ज़रूरत महसूस हो तो  १-२ चम्मच पानी भी मिला सकते हैं 
• अब टमाटर और अदरक का पेस्ट सब्ज़ी में मिलाएं और इसे भूनें। कढ़ाई को ढक कर मध्यम आंच पर भूनें 
• जब टमाटर की कच्ची गंध चली जाये या कढ़ाई के किनारे तेल छोड़ने लगें तब दही बेसन का मिश्रण मिलाएं 
• अच्छी तरह से मिलाकर भूनें 
• ज़रूरत हो तो थोड़ा पानी मिलाएं और कढ़ाई को ढक कर भूनें।गैस  की आंच आँच को मध्यम रहने दें 
• जब आलू करीब करीब पक जाएँ और बेसन की कच्ची गंध चली जाये तब कढ़ाई में भुनी हुई मंगोड़ी मिलाएं 
• अच्छे से सब कुछ मिला कर कढ़ाई को ढक दें और आलू मंगोड़ी की सब्ज़ी को धीमी या मध्यम आँच पर थोड़ा और पकने दें, बीच बीच में सब्ज़ी को हिलाते रहें 
• जब आलू पूरी तरह पक जाये और मंगोड़ी नरम हो जाये, तब गैस को बंद कर दें, स्वादिष्ट आलू मंगोड़ी की सब्ज़ी तैयार है 
• बारीक कटी धनिया पत्ती से सब्ज़ी को सजाएँ और रोटी, पराठों या पूरी के साथ परोसें 

Enjoy the tasty alu mangodi ki sabzi made with curd and besan. You can also make this sabzi with some gravy, if you don't like dry aloo mangodi ki sabzi.