One of the dishes served at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in honour of the European Union guests, on January 27 was a starter: Jakhiya Alu, a special dish from Uttarakhand.
Chef Prateek Sadhu did his own interpretation, setting the sauteed potatoes down onto a savoury mathri biscuit and serving it with a special tomato chutney.
A traditional pahadi preparation, it uses a Garhwali spice called jakhiya, also called wild mustard or dog mustard, that gives a special kick. Vidhya Pant shows how it is made in many an Uttarkhand home.
Jakhiya Alu is best served with Kheere Ka Raita as a snack. Or it can accompany dal-rice, puris, parathas or ghee-waali rotis.
Originally from Ramnagar, Vidhya has lived in Pune, Shillong, Bengaluru, NCR, Lucknow, Dehradun.
Jakhiya Alu
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp jakhiya or wild mustard seeds, available for purchase online
- 4-5 medium-sized potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into cubes
- ¼ tsp hing or asafoetida
- ½-inch piece ginger, grated
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 green chilly, slit or a dried red chilly, optional
- Salt to taste, about ½ tsp
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp green dhania or fresh coriander leaves or cilantro, finely chopped
Method
- Heat the oil, over medium hear, in a kadhai or a heavy-bottomed pan.
Add the jakhiya seeds and let splutter.
Add the hing, garlic.
Saute till the garlic turns golden brown but don't let it burn.
Toss in the green chilly, ginger, potato cubes.
Add the turmeric powder, salt.
Mix well over high heat.
Then lower the heat and let it saute lightly for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped coriander, mix well and serve hot.
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