Recipes

Bengali Five Spice Anda Aloo Curry

Tomato and onion curry scented with Bengali five spice, with hard boiled eggs and potatoes.

Serves:
4
Prep Time:
20 min
Cook Time:
25 min

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp ( 15 mL ) mustard oil
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) panch phoran (Bengali five spice), coarsely ground
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup ( 75 mL ) canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) garlic paste
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) ginger paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp ( 7.5 mL ) ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) chili powder
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) salt (or to taste)
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup ( 375 mL ) water, plus extra to thin out sauce, if necessary
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed and parboiled
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half (cross-cut)
  • ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) garam masala
  • 2 tbsp ( 30 mL ) cilantro, finely chopped

Bengali Five Spice – Panch Phoran

  • 1/8 tsp ( 0.5 mL ) cumin seeds
  • 1/8 tsp ( 0.5 mL ) fennel seeds
  • 1/8 tsp ( 0.5 mL ) fenugreek seeds
  • 1/8 tsp ( 0.5 mL ) kalonji (nigella seeds)
  • 1/8 tsp ( 0.5 mL ) mustard seeds

Instructions

  1. Prepare Bengali five spice by mixing all of the ingredients together. Set aside.

  2. In a medium pot, heat oil on medium-high. Add panch phoran and fry for one minute, until mustard seeds pop. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and caramelize until golden brown in colour, approximately 10-15 minutes.

  3. Mix in crushed tomatoes and add garlic paste, ginger paste, coriander, cumin, chili, turmeric, salt and sugar. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.

  4. Add water to create curry sauce. Add boiled potatoes and gently add eggs. Coat with curry sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of garam masala and cilantro. Serve with Chapattis or basmati rice.

Notes

Take care not to burn onions, which will result in a bitter curry.