Potato curry with Luchi

About the food:

Ask any Bengali about plain potato curry and luchi, I bet he would come up with a heartfelt nostalgic association with this dish.If you ask me, this is the best food I could ever have.This is not only a food, but it has so many cherished associated images with it. It brings back my childhood days, when on holidays our entire family would gather in the living room, and mom ( with occasional help from us!) would serve us steaming hot luchis with the potato curry. It is a memory worth of a thousand lives..

Ingredients (serves 4)

for the curry:

500 gms potato
4 green chillies, slit through the centre
1/2 tbsp black cumin
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped
vegetable oil
salt to taste

for the luchi: (makes 18)

2 cups white flour
1/2 cup hot water
1 tbsp oil

Method:

Curry:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Wash and drain.

2.Heat 3 tbsp of oil in as pan. Add the black cumin and the green chillies- let them char a little. Add the tomato and continue stirring. when the tomatoes has become a paste, add the potatoes. Add salt. Continue cooking for about 6-7 mins over a medium flame, and when the tomatoes has mixed with the potatoes, add 1 cup of water. You can vary the amount of water for the desired consistency. Cover and cook for 15-20 mins over low flame or until the potatoes are cooked.

Luchi:

1. Put the flour in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and mix it well. Add hot water, mix and knead well to get a smooth, soft dough.

2. Make small balls from it. Brush the balls with oil and roll them in thin circular cakes with the help of a rolling pin.

3. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. When the oil is hot and smoulders, deep fry the cakes on both its sides.

4. Drain the oil on a kitchen towel and serve hot with the curry.