Railway Style Aloo Bhaji is a no-onion and no-garlic quick curry served with any flatbread like Roti, Poori , Kachori or Paratha. It is a delicious meal that works well on long train journeys too.
Railway journeys and memories
Railway journeys are / were all about making memories. The destination didn’t matter as long as we had loads of food, talk, fun and cousins / aunts / uncles or friends to pass the time. The journey was in fact, more often than not, more important than the designation and we looked to these journeys – short or long during the summer vacations or the Dusherra break from school.
History of meals on Indian Railways
The history of meals on Indian railways dates back to the late 19th century, when the first railway line was built in India. The early trains did not offer any food, and passengers were required to bring their own meals or purchase food at stations along the way. This included Poori – Aloo Bhaji , Khakras, Kachoris or Theplas in the North , East and the west. In the South, mostly it was rice based food like Idli–Podi (idlis smothered with Gunpowder and gingerly oil) , Puliyodharai (tamarind rice), the evergreen Curd rice (mixed with milk and a tsp of curd added to ferment slowly) or Mosaru Avalakki (poha mixed with curd),Lemon rice ,Biryani or their ilk.
However, as train travel became more popular, the demand for food on trains increased. The first official railway catering service was started in 1901 on the East Indian Railway. Initially, this service was limited to first-class passengers, who were served meals in the dining car.
In 1928, the catering service was extended to second-class passengers as well, and the menu was expanded to include Indian and continental dishes. During this time, the dining car became a popular place for socializing, and passengers would often dress up for dinner on the train.
In the 1950s, the catering service was further expanded, and the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was established in 1986 to manage catering and hospitality services on trains and at railway stations.
Today, passengers on Indian railways can choose from a wide range of meals, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, as well as snacks and beverages. Some long-distance trains also offer pantry car services, where meals are prepared fresh on the train.
Now over past 80-100 years, many railway stations / junctions are popular for the food that they offer, Including some rare delicacies
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai: This station is famous for its vada pav, a popular Mumbai street food consisting of a deep-fried potato fritter sandwiched between two slices of bread.
- Howrah Junction, Kolkata: This station is known for its rosogolla, a soft and spongy Bengali sweet made from cottage cheese soaked in sugar syrup.
- New Delhi Railway Station, Delhi: This station offers a variety of street foods, such as chole bhature (spicy chickpea curry served with deep-fried bread), kachori (deep-fried savory pastry filled with spiced lentils or peas), and paratha (flatbread stuffed with vegetables or meat).
- Kozhikode Railway Station, Kerala: This station is known for its Malabar biriyani, a spiced rice dish cooked with meat, spices, and coconut milk, as well as its banana chips and halwa.
- Kharagpur Junction, West Bengal: This station is known for its jhal muri, a spicy snack made with puffed rice, onions, tomatoes, spices, and chutney.
- Mawa Kachori at Mathura Junction: Mawa kachori is a sweet dish made of deep-fried pastry stuffed with sweetened mawa (reduced milk) and dry fruits. It is a popular dessert in Rajasthan and Mathura Junction is one of the few places where you can try this delicious sweet.
- Dhuska at Hatia Railway Station: Dhuska is a savory pancake made from rice and lentil batter and is a popular breakfast dish in Jharkhand. Hatia Railway Station is known for serving delicious dhuska with a side of spicy potato curry.
- Peda at Bikaner Railway Station: Peda is a soft, creamy, and mildly sweet milk-based dessert that is popular in North India. Bikaner Railway Station is known for its famous peda shop, which has been serving delicious pedas for over 100 years.
- Tunday Kebab at Lucknow Railway Station: Tunday Kebab is a famous Awadhi dish made from minced meat, spices, and papaya, which makes the meat soft and juicy. The Lucknow Railway Station is famous for its Tunday Kebabs, which are served with roomali roti (thin bread)..
- Uppu Kozhukattai at Erode Junction: Uppu Kozhukattai is a savory steamed rice dumpling filled with spiced lentils and coconut. It is a popular snack in Tamil Nadu, and Erode Junction is known for its delicious Uppu Kozhukattai.
- Bafauri at Gorakhpur Railway Station: Bafauri is a popular snack in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, made with soaked and ground chana dal, spices, and coriander leaves, then fried. Gorakhpur Railway Station is known for its delicious bafauri, which is often served with chutney.
Coming to today’s dish, Railway Style Aloo Bhaji holds many memories for us as we travelled to Jaipur and onward to Delhi by long distance train. Having bred on a staple of Rice based dishes, this was something we looked forward to on North bound trains.
The simplicity of the dish along with the ghee used in this dish elevated the experience of eating flattened puris with this eagerly off leaf bowls and newspapers. Let’s see how to make Railway style Aloo Bhaji – a quick to make curry that is best served with ghee-laden rotis / puris / kachoris / Theplas
Prep time – 15 mins , Cook time – 15 mins, Serves -4
Cuisine – Indian ; Course – Side Dish / Accompaniment ; Spice level – Medium
Other curries that you can serve with Roti / Poori / Chapati / Paratha:
Ingredients to make Railway Style Aloo Bhaji
- 400 grams potato
- 3 tomatoes (pureed)
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Ghee (skip for Vegan and sub with 1 tsp Oil)
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 whole black pepper
- 1 tsp whole coriander seeds (Dhanya)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Chilli powder
- 1.5 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 TBSP Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Amchur (Dry Mango Powder)
- 1 TBSP Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Green chillies (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Ginger (finely minced)
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
How to make Railway Style Aloo Bhaji
- Pressure cook Potatoes or cook them in an open pot till they are fork tender.
- Peel, lightly smash them with a fork and keep aside.
- Lightly crush the coriander seeds , saunf and half the jeera in a pestle mortar and keep aside
- In a pan, heat the oil.
- Splutter the whole spices, bay leaf and the crushed spice mix
- Add the ginger and chopped green chillies
- Now add the pureed tomato and saute it for 3 mins or till leaves the sides
- For the next steps, check out the video embedded below
- Let me know how you liked this recipe
PIN FOR LATER
Railway Style Aloo Bhaji | Train waali Alu ki Sabji
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker Can sub with Open pot / Instant Pot
- Thick Bottomed Pan
- Pots and Pans
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 400 grams Potato
- 3 Tomatoes pureed
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Ghee skip for Vegan and sub with 1 tsp Oil
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 Bay leaf
- 4 Whole Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Coriander seeds Dhaniya
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds saunf
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds jeera
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1.5 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 TBSP Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Amchur Dry Mango Powder
- 1 TBSP Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Green Chillies finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger finely minced
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Green coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Pressure cook Potatoes or cook them in an open pot till they are fork tender.
- Peel, lightly smash them with a fork and keep aside.
- Lightly crush the coriander seeds , saunf and half the jeera in a pestle mortar and keep aside
- In a pan, heat the oil.
- Splutter the whole spices, bay leaf and the crushed spice mix
- Add the ginger and chopped green chillies
- Now add the pureed tomato and saute it for 3 mins or till leaves the sides
- For the next steps, check out the video embedded below
- Let me know how you liked this recipe
Video
Railway-style aloo bhaji with hand-pound masala looks so flavorful and delicious. Need some phulkas or roti to enjoy this delicious curry.
thanks Narmadha.. that coarse masala is SURELY a game changer!
Kalyani what a wonderful compilation. Next time if I am travelling by train, have to make sure I taste the dishes you’ve mentioned, of course depending which station I will be passing through 🙂 As for the railway style aloo bhaji, it is the most comforting and delicious food. Have enjoyed it with hot rotis during several train journeys .
awww. thanks so much! Aloo Bhaji Rasila is our favourite too and fond memories of eating this on the trains heading north
Love railway food and the food which we make during our train journeys. So many nostalgic memories, and your aloo bhaji is reminding me of one. Love this delicious sabji with some puris during the train travel
thanks Renu. We love it with Poori / Theplas equally 🙂
Railway style aloo bhaji looks very tasty, liked the way you prepared it with no onion nd garlic. You shared good information kalyani, surely will taste the food you mentioned from different places.
thank you, Aruna.
Kalyani, first of all thank you for such a wonderful and detailed blogpost, mentioning specialities of major railway stations of the country.
This Aloo sabzi is a staple at our place. We love it with Pooris as well as rotis. Never added fennel seeds though. Will add these next time I make it.
thanks so much Preethi ! So glad you liked the post, do try it with saunf next time, surely you would like it
Such a beautiful potato curry! Love the fiery red colour, the various spices you have added in, and the fact that this sabzi is free of onion and garlic. Sounds absolutely delicious.
yup.. totally Onion Garlic free which mom also loved 🙂 Thanks Priya
Aloo Bhaji looks tasty and ideal to serve with puri or chapathi. Love the fact, it is a no onion garlic dish, ideal when we do not use them some days at home.
absolutely Jayashree. Thank you !
Love this post to compile so many railway special recipes, Kalyani. Aloo baji and pooris however were the favourites.
Thank you, Seema
What an wonderful compilation !
Love the fact that it is a no onion garlic dish too….
thanks…
Aloo curry with fresh home
Made spices is so Flavourful and delicious. Very handy curry for our Train journey. I have very fond memories of train journeys while growing up. Lovely dish Kalyani.
thanks Preethi. it sure is delish with rotis
Now I need to visit all those stations just to enjoy the delicacies. 🙂 Great research Kalyani. Love this delicious curry with the hand pound masala. So yum.
thanks Srividhya. yes, the hand pound masala is key here…
My mouth is literally watering as I am reading through your post. It also brings back lot of sweet memories of my childhood. We used to travel every summer from Kanpur/Lucknow to Chennai and me and my mother totally enjoyed the travel food. I need to make a note of all the other suggestions that you have given.
awww. thanks a lot, Sandhya..