Aloo Tama — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A tangy curry combining potatoes, fermented bamboo shoots, and black-eyed peas in a turmeric-spiced broth. The fermented bamboo shoots give this traditional Nepali dish its characteristic sour and earthy flavor.

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 cup fermented bamboo shoots (tama), sliced
1/2 cup black-eyed peas, soaked and boiled
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mustard oil
4 cups water
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1 Heat mustard oil in a pot and add cumin seeds and dried red chilies. Let them splutter.
2 Add sliced onion and garlic, saute until golden brown, about four minutes.
3 Add turmeric, potatoes, bamboo shoots, and boiled black-eyed peas. Stir to coat with spices.
4 Pour in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes until potatoes are tender and the broth develops flavor.
5 Season with salt and serve hot garnished with fresh cilantro alongside steamed rice.

Did You Know?

Tama (fermented bamboo shoots) are prepared during monsoon when bamboo grows rapidly, and a single batch of fermented tama can last an entire year when stored properly.