Jhuri Aloo Bhaja | Bengali Jhurjhure Aloo Bhaja | Kitchenstagram
Jhuri Aloo Bhaja- the name itself is enough to make a Bengali happy! This quintessential Bengali delicacy needs little introduction. Made with delicate potato juliennes fried until crisp, Aloo Bhaja, as fried potatoes are called in Bengali, is the epitome of comfort food. Also known as Bengali Jhurjhure Aloo Bhaja or Jhuro Aloo Bhaja, this dish holds a special place in the Bengali cooking canon. Crispy, fried potato juliennes served with steaming rice, hot dal and a wedge of lemon are a classic combination.
Bengali families love their fried potatoes in many forms. Sometimes potatoes are cut into thick pieces, sometimes into round slices or wedges, with different names and serving styles depending on the cut. Soft fried potato pieces pair beautifully with roti, luchi or paratha, while round potato fries are commonly enjoyed with rice. For special celebrations, Jhuri Aloo Bhaja takes centre stage, mixed with crisp fried peanuts, curry leaves and red chili, served with warm dal.
The recipe is wonderfully simple and uses basic ingredients such as potatoes, a few spices, peanuts, curry leaves and oil. Traditional professional cooks, known as Rannar Thakur and caterers prepare particularly delicious Jhurjhure Aloo Bhaja, especially for celebratory Bengali lunches. It is also a popular part of a typically Bengali wedding-day lunch and similar occasions, often served alongside Bengali dals such as Macher Matha Diye Dal.
Tips for achieving perfectly crispy Bengali Jhuro Aloo Bhaja:
Wash the potatoes thoroughly: Rinse the cut potatoes in plenty of water to remove excess starch.
Dry them completely: Before frying, the potato juliennes must be thoroughly dried. Any moisture can result in limp fries.
Maintain the right Oil temperature: Fry the juliennes in plenty of oil at a steady temperature of around 180°C. The oil should be hot but not begin to smoke.
Ingredients
6 nos. Potato, peeled
8 nos. Dry Red chili
3-4 sprigs of Curry Leaves
7-8 tbsp Peanuts
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
For Seasoning:
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Black Salt
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
Preparation
- Step 1: Grate the peeled potatoes. Wash them in plenty of water for 3-4 times to remove the starch. Drain the water when done. Doing so will allow the aloo bhaja to crisp up nicely.
- Step 2: Lay out an absorbent towel on a surface and spread out the washed potato juliennes and dab them properly or let them air dry. Make sure the potatoes are completely dry before frying or else moisture will make the fries limp.
- Step 3: Heat oil in a wok. The oil temperature is equally important, keep it adequately hot, around 180°C, but ensure it never reaches the smoking point. The secret to non-greasy fries is using plenty of oil, allowing the potato juliennes to float freely instead of clumping together and trapping steam.
- Step 4: Once the oil is hot, deep fry the peanuts and drain on absorbent paper. Deep fry the red chili and and drain on absorbent paper. Deep fry the curry leaves and and drain on absorbent paper.
- Step 5: Drop a small amount of potato juliennes, making sure not to overcrowd the wok. Fry for 2-3 minutes until turn golden and crispy. Frying essentially dehydrates the potatoes, allowing them to become crisp and stay crisp for longer.
- Step 6: Once the aloo bhaja is fried, strain it from the oil and place it in a perforated vessel, such as a colander or wicker basket, to cool, the opening allow steam to escape.
- Step 7: In a small bowl, combine salt to taste, black salt, red chili powder, chaat masala and black pepper powder.
- Step 8: In a basket combine Jhuri aloo bhaja, fried peanuts, fried curry leaves, fried red chili and sprinkle the prepared seasoning.
- Step 9: Serve immediately with rice and Macher Matha diye Dal. Enjoy!!
About Me
DEBJANI MONDAL
Welcome to Kitchenstagram, the home of delicious recipes, culinary inspiration and cooking adventures. I’m Debjani and I’m thrilled to be your guide through the wonderful world of food. I’m a self-taught professional baker, home chef, recipe developer, author of Kitchenstagram and an aspiring YouTuber.
My passion for food and cooking began at a very young age, when I would watch my mom and dad cook for me and my brother. My dad, in particular is a great cook whose culinary skills made a lasting impression on me. My dad would cook up a storm on special occasions by cooking variety of dishes, from delicious biriyani to samosa, fish fry, rasgullas and kachoris (sweet & spicy deep fried pastry with filling of lentils, meat or fish…>>>>>
FOLLOW ME
My Latest Posts
- post 1
- post 2