Alur khosa bata

Madhushree Basu Roy’s Alur Khosha Bata, published by Pikturenama, is her Bengali potato-skin paste. This selection includes the optional small prawns, with garlic, coriander leaves, green chilli, nigella, salt, sugar and mustard oil.

Potatoes are washed under running water before peeling. The skins soak in water, which is discarded, and are rinsed again. They cook in the selected tiffin box inside a pressure cooker with water, then cool after the steam is released. The prawns are washed, patted dry, seasoned with turmeric and salt, and kept aside.

The softened skins are ground to a coarse paste with coriander leaves, green chilli, garlic and a pinch of the same salt. Mustard oil heats in a frying pan, and the prawns are lightly sautéed and kept aside.

More of the listed mustard oil joins the same frying oil with nigella seeds. The prepared skin paste cooks over high heat with continuous stirring until its water evaporates. The same prawns return, and sugar is mixed in.

The mixture is stirred to a mushy finish, salt is adjusted, and more of the listed mustard oil is drizzled on top. The heat is switched off and the paste is served with the selected prepared steamed white rice.