Papad er Dalna Recipe – Bengali Papad Curry

Papad er Dalna is a Bengali recipe that is prepared specially during Durga Puja. It provides the "pujo pujo aroma " (the essence of Durga Puja). This recipe is quick and easy for the days you are too lazy to cook up an extravagant meal. Course : Side Dish Ingridients : 4 Papad , (Masala papad) 4 Potato (Aloo) 1 Tomato 1 inch Ginger , grated 1 Bay leaf (tej patta) 1 Dry Red Chilli 1/1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera) 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder 1 teaspoon Sugar 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder Salt , to taste 2 teaspoon Oil 1 teaspoon Ghee Instructions To begin preparing the Papad er Dalna, wash and peel the potatoes and then cut them into half. Cut each potato in half and into 3 pieces (dalna style).Puree the tomatoes in a mixer.Heat oil in a pan and fry potato pieces till they turn golden brown and keep them aside.Break each papad into 4 pieces and fry them in the remaining oil. It takes approximately 20-30 seconds to fry 4 pieces of papad in high flame.Strain the fried papad from oil.Temper the remaining oil with bay leaf; dry red chilli and whole cumin seeds and wait till the tempering starts to crackle.Now add tomato puree to the tempering and start cooking in medium flame till the aroma of raw tomato goes, and then add ginger paste to the mixture and cook on medium flame till the oil separates from the mixture.Now, mix turmeric powder; red chilli powder and cumin powder with 1 tsp of water and make a thick paste and add this paste to the tomato puree and mix properly.Add sugar and salt in the mixture and then add a teaspoon of water and cook till the oil separates.Add fried potatoes to this mixture and coat properly with spices and add 1.5 cup of water.Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the potatoes are cooked properlyAfter the potatoes are done adjust the water and place fried papad on the top of potato and again cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes.Open the lid and mix the gravy carefully as the papad will be completely soft by now.Add garam masala powder and ghee to the curry and cook for 2 more minutes and turn off the gas once done.Papad er Dalna is now ready to be served with phulka, paratha or steamed rice.