Aalu Vadi Ki Sabzi

                       Aalu Vadi Ki Sabzi

This is a simple sabzi made in our household on regular basis,a very ordinary kind of gravy vegetable which is relished by everyone but not considered to be made for fancy parties. The reason is plain..because of it's humble ingredients. My dadi told that in her childhood,the availability of vegetables were very limited in monsoon season because of heavy rain and flooding of surrounding areas.They used to store onions and potatoes harvested in the season beneath the ground for access during this time. And vadis of dal were made with spices to be used with potatoes. Thus it was summertime favorite,vadi can be used in different preparations and this simple but delicious dish was made during those difficult days when communications with outer world was totally disrupted.
So as I mentioned,this curry or sabzi is made in our homes when you are expecting no guests,but sometimes few people just come at the exact time of lunch or dinner and you have no time to cook fancy stuff,you just add some side dishes and offer them to eat with you whatever you are going to eat. In this situation,this happened so many times with us that we had aalu vadi sabzi made and the guests enjoyed immensely. A couple of people complimented," aap log daily itna accha khana khate hain kya!?"...."DO you people daily eat such  delicious food?!" 
Every household in eastern U.P. has its own aalu vadi recipe and each recipe is different from other,that is the richness of our culture. My mom and my mom-in-law both had their distinguished recipes and both kind of aaloo vadi tasted awesome! 
Here,I'm sharing my mother's recipe...

Ingredients:

• Potatoes..2 large or 3 medium size
• Punjabi vadi or any spicy vadi ..2(broken in big chunks)
• Onion..3
• Garlic cloves..3-4
• Tomatoes..2
• Curd..1/4 cup
• Bay leaf..1
• Black Cardamom..3
• Cloves..2
• Black pepper..4-5
• Cinnamon stick..1/2" piece
• Corriander seeds..1 tsp. or dhania powder 1 tsp.
• All spice(kababchini)..2
• Cumin seeds..1/2 tsp.
• Caraway seeds..1 pinch
• Red chilli powder..1 1/2 tsp.(I use 2 1/2)
• Turmeric powder..1/2 tsp.
• Mustard oil or any oil of your choice..2+2 serving spoon
• Water for gravy(according to your preference for gravy)
• Salt per your tase

Procedure:

1. Peel potatoes and cut them in cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and fry vadis,transfer them in a plate lined with paper towel and fry potatoes.Transfer them also in the same plate.
3. Chop 2 onions,peel garlic and grind with all the whole spices.
4. Thinly slice one onion for tadka.
5. Now in about 2 serving spoon oil,add bay leaf and after a couple of minutes remove it.
6. Add sliced onions and saute till it turns pink,should not be either burnt or just transparent.
7. Add onion garlic masala paste,all the dry masala powders,curd,chopped tomatoes,salt and cook this till oil is floating on the top.
8. Add potatoes and vadi, stir for 2 minutes mixing well and add about half a glass of water or according to your preference of gravy consistency. I prefer it not very thin.
9. Close the lid and cook on medium flame till one whistle.
10. Open the lid when steam is subsides and serve with chapati,rice and dal.

Note: Save leftover because it tastes much better next day.

Enjoy!