Bandakopi Alur Torkari (Mamma’s Cabbage in curried Potatoes)

This simple yet delicious stir-fry is one of my favorites. You just need a few extra minutes for the preparation. Finely chopping cabbage is a time consuming task, not to mention there is no room for error so make sure your whole attention is on the task at hand. It doesn’t take a whole lot of time, just 5-10 extra minutes to finely cut half a head of cabbage. 

Potatoes are so versatile right? Perfectly sweet to accompany any other vegetable. This is a perfectly simple dish to go with any fried bread like Luchi or Paratha but I also like to enjoy this with plain roti or rice and dal. I love that there is no onion or garlic in this recipe making it so unique and homely. In India, we often have special religious days when such dishes are prepared with no onion or garlic and this dish fits right into that!

I love how the cumin seeds crackle in the hot oil as if they are dancing in anticipation of the vegetables. Crackling seeds signify that the oil is hot and ready to be cooked in. They also add a delicious flavor and aroma in the dish.

I think the beauty of Indian cuisine is its diversity. There are so many different varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes (both day to day and gourmet), breads and rice dishes, condiments and chutneys and pickles. You name it and we have it. Indian cuisine is truly a dream come true for the food lovers. In fact, if you plan it, you can have a different dish everyday! That’s why I have made it my mission to collect and share all these awesome recipes and while I have published quite a few, there is so much more to try!

Today is such a warm sunny day, ideal for some cooking. So I called my mom in the morning and asked her what they had for dinner (it’s dinnertime in India and breakfast time here). She said a plain Bandakopi r Torkari with roti and I thought hey, I have some cabbage in the fridge maybe I can also cook this today. Isn’t it fun to prepare the same dish your mom has cooked/ is cooking, kinda makes you feel you are preparing it together. Right now, Baby Prisha is taking her afternoon nap so I am going to start cooking. By the time she wakes up, this dish will be ready and then we will have a snack and go for a walk in the trail near our house. I love going out for a walk and I am thankful to this little baby for accompanying me with such a big smile. 

I hope you do try this simple, humble recipe and love it as much as we do.

Ingredients: 

• Potato – 1 medium, peeled, cut into medium pieces, washed
• Cabbage – ½ medium (about 3-4 cups), chopped finely, washed
• Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Bay Leaf – 1
• Green Chilies – 2, slit in halves (optional)
• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
• Tomato - 1, cut into small pieces
• Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
• Black Cardamom - 1
• Coriander Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Sabji Masala – ½ teaspoon 
• Garam Masala – ¼ teaspoon
• Mustard Oil – 2-3 tablespoons
• Ghee - 1 tablespoon

Directions: 

• Make a paste of Tomato, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Salt and Sabji Masala. Keep it aside.
• Heat a wok on medium-high heat.
• Add the Oil in it and wait for a few seconds.
• When the oil begins to smoke, turn down the heat to low and add the Potatoes. Tip: If the potatoes are making the oil jump, add a little turmeric powder and stir to mix.
• Fry till the potatoes are golden red in color. Transfer to a bowl.
• Now temper the oil with Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf and Black Cardamom.
• After a few seconds, add the tomato puree prepared above. 
• Fry the puree till the oil separates. Add a little water to prevent it from burning and cook it well. Once it reduces to a paste like consistency, start adding a handful of cabbage in it and fry.
• Keep adding a handful of cabbage and frying, when you add the last handful, add the potatoes in the pan too along with the Garam Masala.
• Keep the heat on medium and cover and cook the vegetables. Keep stirring every 2-3 minutes. This will cook the vegetables and also bring a fried texture. 
• Mash a piece of potato with your spatula, if it breaks, the potatoes are cooked. I like this dish on the drier side so I usually increase the heat to high at this point and let the extra water dry up, the tomato paste clinging on the vegetables, well fried cabbage tastes amazing. If you would like some curry, add half or one cup of warm water in it, stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add a tablespoon of Ghee and mix.
• Serve hot with Roti, Luchi or Paratha. Also goes great with rice and dal.

Love Indian side dishes with Potatoes? Try these as well:

• Korola Alu (Stir fried Bitter Gourd with Potatoes)
• Panch Bhaja (Crispy Deep Fried Vegetables)
• Alu Begun-er Chonka (Bengali recipe: Stir-fried Potatoes and Eggplant)
• Soa Baigan Alu (Dill sautéed with Eggplant and Potato)
• Alu Posto (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Poppy Seeds)
• Jhinge Alu Posto (Ridge Gourd and Potatoes with Poppy Seeds)
• Chochchori (Bengali style mixed vegetables)
• Pui Saag er Chochchori (Bengali recipe: Mixed vegetables with Shrimp and Malabar Spinach)
• Alu Koraishutir Ghugni (Mamma’s Potatoes and Peas)
• Gajar Alu Matar (Curried Carrots and Potatoes with Peas)
• Alur Dom (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with gravy)
• Alu Borir Torkari (Potatoes with sun dried Lentil Dumplings)
• Alu Tamatar Sabji (Curried Potatoes with Tomatoes)
• Masala Alu (Stir fried Potatoes with Indian spices)
• Alu Chochori (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Indian Spices)
• Alu Shimla Mirch Sabji (Potatoes with Bell Peppers Stir Fry)
• Borboti Alur Torkari (Beans sautéed with spices and Potatoes)
• Niramish Alur Dom (Potato Gravy Without Onion and Garlic)
• Kalo Jeere diye Alur Torkari (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Nigella Seeds)
• Alu Potol Kumror Dalna (Potato, Pointed Gourd and Pumpkin curry)
• Allahabadi Chatpata Alu (Spicy Tangy Potato Gravy of my Hometown)
• Alu Kumro (Bengali Torkari - Potatoes with Pumpkin stir fry)
• Alu Bhindi (Bengali Torkari - Potatoes with Okra stir fry)
• Alu Kopir Torkari (Potatoes with Cauliflower Stir Fry/ Curry)
• Kopi Alur Chochchori (Bengali recipe: Stir fried Cauliflower with Potatoes)
• Kopi Chechki (Stir-fried Cauliflower and vegetables)
• Chanar Dalna (Bengali recipe: Fresh Cheese and Potato Curry)
• Kathal ki Sabji (Enchor/Jackfruit in a Tomato Curry)
• Alu Soa Sabji (Potato stir-fried with Dill)