Alu Borir Torkari (Potatoes with sun dried Lentil Dumplings)

Before I start talking about this recipe, let me ask you, do you like Potatoes? And if you are nodding your head, my next question is, do you like Bengali comfort foods like Alur Dom, Alu Kumro or Alu Koraishutir Ghugni? Because if you do, you will definitely love this simple potato curry. The good part is, you will not need any special spices to prepare this torkari, however, today I am going to introduce you to something very special – Bori (or Bari) and don’t worry you can easily get this in your local Indian store.

Bori is a sun dried dumpling prepared with lentils and until a few years back it used to be something prepared by the ladies of the family. It was done as an additional chore and I have seen Mummum (my grandma) and my mom spending quite some time on the rooftop totally immersed in the Bori making process. Now let me tell you, preparing Bori from scratch is a time consuming and tedious job and hence nowadays everyone buys them readymade from stores. This gives us the convenience of cooking it anytime, not to mention, the store bought Boris last longer and taste excellent and although we won't be making any Boris from scratch, I think it’s interesting to know how they are prepared.

So Bori is prepared in two phases. Phase one is mainly prep – I have seen my mom prepare Boris with Urad Dal (Black Gram lentils). She would soak the dal overnight in water and then grind it with spices like Fennel, Black Pepper, Asafoetida, Salt, Red Chili and Ginger. The resultant batter should have a thick consistency that is, thick enough to drop and maintain its shape. For phase two, my mom would go on the roof top, spread a big cloth over a table and drop the batter on it using a spoon or her hands. The Boris should be like medium sized dumplings. After this, my mom would cover them lightly with another cloth so that any dust carried away with the wind does not sticks on the wet dumplings (we are on roof top remember?) and place some pots or pans around the cloth so that it does not glides away with the wind. She would then allow the dumplings ample time to get sun dried and crisp. So my mom would leave the Boris on the roof top for the entire day and check them in the evening and if they have dried up all over, she would store them in airtight jars. 

I once asked my mom how she knows if the Boris are actually dry and she smiled and said, “Well, if they are wet they wont come off the cloth”.

So now that you know the entire process, you must be feeling quite thankful to those hardworking people who do all these steps and make it easier for us to just purchase the Boris and cook this awesome torkari anytime we want. Now, let’s not wait any further and start cooking.

Ingredients:

• Potato - 2 medium sized russet potatoes, cut into medium sized cubes
• Lijjat Urad Masala Bari – 4-5 pieces
• Tomato - 2, medium, cut into small pieces
• Green Chilli – 1-2, slit in half lengthwise 
• Panch Fhoron – ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Coriander Powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Oil – about 2-3 tablespoons

Directions: 

• Heat a wok on medium- high heat.
• Add the Oil in it.
• Pat dry the Potatoes.
• After a couple of seconds, add the Panch Fhoron and Green Chilli in it.  
• When the spices start sputtering, add the Potatoes. 
• Fry till the Potatoes are reddish brown in color.
• Add the Boris.
• Fry for about two minutes then add the Tomato, Turmeric powder, Salt and Coriander Powder in it and mix well.
• When the Tomatoes start melting, turn down the heat to medium low and add about 1-2 cups of water in it. Mix well.
• Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes so that the Potatoes are well cooked. 
• Press a piece of Potato with the spatula and if it breaks the torkari is ready. 
• Serve with Roti, Luchi or Paratha.

Tips: 

• Once the torkari is ready, I break the dumplings into two- three pieces. This helps to incorporate their flavor in the curry.

Recommended reading:

• Plain Paratha (Fried Flat Bread)
• How to check if the Oil is hot enough to fry
• Alur Dom (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with gravy)
• Alu Kumro (Bengali Torkari - Potatoes with Pumpkin stir fry)
• Alu Koraishutir Ghugni (Mamma’s Potatoes and Peas)
• Indian Salad
• Panch Fhoron
• Top 10 Spices to keep in your kitchen
• Kopi Alur Chochchori (Bengali recipe: Stir fried Cauliflower with Potatoes)
• Niramish Alur Dom (Potato Gravy Without Onion and Garlic)
• Alu Potol Kumror Dalna (Potato, Pointed Gourd and Pumpkin curry)
• Borboti Alur Torkari (Beans sautéed with spices and Potatoes)
• Bandakopi Alur Torkari (Mamma’s Cabbage in curried Potatoes)
• Kathal ki Sabji (Enchor/Jackfruit in a Tomato Curry)
• Alu Soa Sabji (Potato stir-fried with Dill)