The Authentic Panchapuran Aloo Mooli Curry

This authentic dish is prepared in the northeast part of India. It is traditionally cooked with 5 spices, panchpuran simply means "five spices" in Bengali. In Bengali cuisine mustard oil is extensively used, the aroma of mustard oil complements the other flavors of this gravy really well .

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced radish(approx 5 to 6 medium size)
• 1 cup diced potatoes(approx 2 medium size potatos)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp saunf
• 1/2 tsp black jeera
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/8 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garlic ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp mustard oil (see the note)
• 1/2 tsp himalayan salt or salt to taste.

Cooking Procedure
Wash the radish and poatoes and peel them ,cut them into dices.

In the pressure cooker heat another tbsp oil , add cumin seeds,mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,saunf and black jeera (panchapuran) , when these seeds splutter, add onion garlic ginger paste,turmeric powder and stir till light golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook till soft.

Add all remaining powders,sugar,salt and stir until oil begins to saturate out of gravy.Then add the radish chunks and potatoes and stir and blend the mixture with the veggies and fry for 5 mins.

Add one cup of water mix nicely and cover the lid ,pressure cook for three whistles.Once it cools open lid and switch on the flame again and bring it to a boil.Mash some potato chunks in the curry to make the gravy little thicker.Check the consistency if needed add a little water.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Note:
1.Normally panchapuran and potao combination is awesome and when it is cooked in mustard oil it become awesome but prefer ot add some veggie with potato.

2.To cook food with mustard oil,first heat oil until the mustard oil begins to smoke otherwise the mustard oil would smell and spoils the dish.

3.Cooking with mustard oil is purely optional, but I prefer to cook my gravies with mustard oil for the authentic flavor and healthy benefits.

4You can shallow fry radish and potatos lightly before adding it to gravy but i prefer the above method when i am really in jiffy.

5.You can replace the radish with cauliflower and it will also taste awesome.