This month we feature dZi Foundation’s MaUKa Initiative which empowers marginalized women in Nepal with comprehensive finance and entrepreneurship training to support sustainable agri-enterprises.

As the temperature increases, my desire to spend time near a hot stove or oven proportionally decreases. I start craving food that isn’t rich or hot, so sharing a recipe for a dish that requires barely any stovetop or oven time and that can be served cold or at room temperature seemed like the way to go. Enter Aloo Chukauni. A dish from the Palpa region of West Nepal that is similar to a potato salad but with a far more complex and interesting flavor profile and (a huge win for me) no mayo. The word aloo means potato and the primary ingredient in this dish is potatoes. The bold flavors in this dish come from the sauce: creamy yogurt that is tempered with mustard oil and a combination of spices that lend it its tangy and spicy taste. While mustard oil is a quintessential part of this recipe, if it is difficult to source, it can be substituted with a neutral oil and a tsp of ground mustard powder. Likewise, timbur peppercorn are a key ingredient but can be substituted with kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika). Purple onions, cilantro, chili peppers, mustard seeds, and sesame seeds used as garnish add depth to the flavor profile. Serve Aloo Chukauni warm or cold with roti (flatbread) or rice or as a side.

Aloo Chukauni
Servings: 4 – 6
Cook time: less than 15 minutes

Ingredients:
4 boiled potatoes (potatoes must still have “a bite”)
½ purple onion, thinly sliced
Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 serrano pepper, finely sliced
1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup mustard oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon timbur/Szechuan pepper (can substitute with red chili powder)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon dried methi leaves (fenugreek leaves, can substitute with 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Equipment:
Fry pan
Mixing bowl
Serving platter

Directions:
Cube boiled potatoes into bite sized pieces. In a mixing bowl, add yogurt and freshly squeezed lime juice and mix well. If the consistency isn’t creamy, thin with a little water. Add the timbur or chili powder and salt to this mixture and mix well. To this mixture, add potatoes and gently fold them in.

To a small fry pan, add mustard oil and allow oil to get hot. Exercise caution in this step as the seeds will sputter. To the hot oil, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Reduce heat and add turmeric powder and fenugreek leaves.

Turn the stove off and take the fry pan off the stove and add about 3/4 of the tempered oil and spice mix to the potato and yogurt mix.

Plate the potato and sauce. Garnish with purple onions, chopped cilantro, sliced serrano peppers, and sesame seeds. Serve with roti or rice or as a side.

Recipe and photo credit: Vinola V. Munyon