Spiced mashed potato croquettes coated in chickpea batter and fried — alur chop — are the canonical Bengali tea-time snack. They are sold from enormous kadais outside every railway station and college gate in West Bengal from four in the afternoon.
The batter is pakora batter; the filling is heavily spiced potato with ginger, green chilli, coriander seed, and often a piece of fried onion inside. They are eaten with kasundi, the Bengali fermented mustard sauce, and nothing else.
Zone: River Delta
SOURCE: Adapted from a recipe documented at a tea stall in Shyambazar, Kolkata, 2019.
LOCAL NAME: আলুর চপ
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium potatoes (boiled and mashed)
- 1 tsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp panch phoron (dry roasted and ground)
- 1 tsp ginger (finely grated)
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)
- 1 tsp black salt
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 150 g besan (chickpea flour)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 150 ml water (approximately)
- Oil for deep frying
- Kasundi to serve
METHOD
- Combine the mashed potato with mustard oil, ground panch phoron, ginger, green chilli, coriander, and black salt. Mix thoroughly and taste — the filling should be well-seasoned and fragrant.
- Divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a flat round patty, roughly 1cm thick.
- Make the batter: whisk together besan, turmeric, chilli powder, and salt. Add water gradually, whisking until smooth. The batter should coat the back of a spoon — not too thick, not too thin.
- Heat oil in a deep pan to 175°C.
- Dip each potato patty into the batter, ensuring full coverage. Lower gently into the oil. Fry in batches of 3–4 for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on paper. Serve immediately with kasundi and cha.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Besan (chickpea flour) from South Asian grocers or larger supermarkets — increasingly stocked in the free-from aisle. Kasundi from South Asian grocers (Pran brand) or substitute with English mustard thinned with a little white wine vinegar. Black salt from South Asian grocers or online. Panch phoron from South Asian grocers or blend your own — equal parts mustard seed, fenugreek, nigella, cumin, and fennel seed.
US adaptation: Besan from Patel Brothers, Indian grocery stores, or Whole Foods. Kasundi from Patel Brothers or Indian grocery stores. Black salt and panch phoron from Patel Brothers or online. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: The batter must be made fresh and used immediately — it thins as it sits. If it becomes too loose between batches, whisk in a little extra besan.