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Aloo Sheddho Bhaat: My Quintessential Comfort Food
Aloo Sheddho Bhaat or mashed potatoes is the most basic dish in Assamese cuisine. It happens to be our quintessential comfort food.
On Sundays when I feel too lazy to cook I am reminded of Mom’s kitchen back home, I can see my maa busy cooking begun bhaja, Aloo Sheddho, steamed basmati rice and sambhar.
I know there would be an egg or two/squash mashed inside that hot steaming Aloo Sheddho (My Comfort Food) so that she serves us a meal loaded with necessary carbohydrates, protein and fibre topped with a spoon of butter.
Comfort food. That is exactly how I can define Aloo Sheddho Bhaat for what it does for my stressed soul.
There is no “gravy” dressing the Aloo Bhaat. It is the simplest form of dish that you can find.
There is no extravaganza of spices. It is only the goodness of yellow creamy potatoes tenderly cooked and tossed with green chillies and onions, garnished with mustard oil. (You can also try this as a Pot in Pot recipe)
Aloo Bhaate/Aloo Sheddho Bhaat simply means mashed potato (aloo) with rice (bhat/bhaat/bhaate).
It is an Assamese tradition to do a “Bhaate Sheddho”: throw in vegetables in the same pot that cooks the rice, so they cook all together.
It is quite common in an Assamese home to have all kinds of gourds– mixed with Aloo Sheddho Bhaat.
The concoction is then drizzled with mustard oil and served on the side.
Whenever we returned home from vacations and were away from home for a long time, and we would come back home looking forward to Bhaat, Dal, Aloo Bhaate ( Rice, Dal and Aloo Bhaate) our comfort food topped with a little butter.
Even today when me and my daughter are alone and we just want to chill out but don’t actually want to cook anything we fall back on our comfort food.
The one thing with Assamese cuisine recipes is that you have to be on a watch or you’ll end up eating more than what you actually eat. In layman’s term, they are actually the soulfood for our soul.
My comfort food Aloo Sheddho with Bhaat (rice with ghee/butter with Aloo Bhaate on the side) would help us achieve that inner tranquillity and soothe our stomach and soul, bringing in normalcy to life.
My kids too have also developed a love for this comfort food of mine and I am happy that I have passed the legacy of this simple soulfood to my children.
Comfort food. That is exactly how I can define Aloo Sheddho Bhaat for what it does for my stressed soul.
Aloo Sheddho Bhaat: My Quintessential Comfort Food
On Sundays when I feel too lazy to cook I am reminded of Mom’s kitchen back home, I can see my maa busy cooking begun bhaja, Aloo Sheddho, steamed basmati rice and sambhar.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Assamese, Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 240 kcal
Author Ranjeeta Nath Ghai
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized potatoes
- 2 tsp pure mustard oil
- 4 tsp ghee/butter for garnishing 1 tsp per serving
- 2 medium finely chopped red onions
- 2-3 Finely chopped green chilli peppers remove seeds and membranes if you do not want it spicy
- 2 medium eggs hard boiled (optional)
- 200 grams bottle gourd/bitter gourd/squash boiled and mashed (optional)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil potatoes until tender (also try Pot in Pot cooking)
- Drain. Cool, Peel (if you boiled with skin on) and mash them really well until lump-free.
- Add salt, mustard oil, onion and peppers.
- Eggs and above-mentioned veggies are optional.
- Mash and combine everything together one more time.
- Serve hot with steamed basmati rice/bhaat and Begun Bhaja.
Recipe Notes
While the onions and peppers add the best flavours along with the mustard oil, it is not required.
The dish can be made with only mashed potatoes, ghee and salt in case you don’t eat onions or peppers.
There are some more varieties of Aloo Bhaate that use kashundi or the tangy mustard or toasted and crushed red chilli pepper.
So feel free to adapt it to your style, while keeping the authentic essence in mind.
Quick Overview
Recipe Name: Aloo Sheddho Bhaat: My Quintessential Comfort Food
Author: Ranjeeta Nath Ghai
Description: Aloo Bhaate/Aloo Sheddho Bhaat simply means mashed potato (aloo) with rice (bhat/bhaat/bhaate) and serves as my comfort food. It is an Assamese tradition to do a “Bhaate Sheddho”: throw in vegetables in the same pot that cooks the rice, so they cook all together.
Preperation time: 5
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 20
Type: entree, main course
Recipe Yield: 4 people
Recipe Ingredients: 4 medium-sized potatoes, 2 tsp pure mustard oil, 4 tsp ghee/butter for garnishing 1 tsp per serving, 2 medium finely chopped red onions, 2-3 Finely chopped green chilli peppers remove seeds and membranes if you do not want it spicy, 2 medium eggs hard boiled (optional), 200 grams bottle gourd/bitter gourd/squash boiled and mashed (optional), salt to taste
Recipe Instructions: Boil potatoes until tender (also try Pot in Pot cooking)Drain. Cool, Peel (if you boiled with skin on) and mash them really well until lump free.Add salt, mustard oil, onion and peppers. Eggs and the above-mentioned veggies are optional. Mash and combine everything together one more time. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice/bhaat and Begun Bhaja.
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 240
Video thumbnail URL:
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Ease of Cooking
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Nutritional Values
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Health Benefits
Summary
Aloo Bhaate/Aloo Sheddho Bhaat simply means mashed potato (aloo) with rice (bhat/bhaat/bhaate). It is an Assamese tradition to do a “Bhaate Sheddho”: throw in vegetables in the same pot that cooks the rice, so they cook all together. It is quite common in an Assamese home to have all kinds of gourds– mixed with Aloo Sheddho Bhaat. The concoction is then drizzled with mustard oil and served on the side.
Pros
While the onions and peppers add the best flavours along with the mustard oil, it is not required if you want to avoid it.
Cons
The dish can be made with only mashed potatoes.
