Tag Archives: Potato

Recipes: Masala Potatoes

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A very basic recipe, which can be modified to make it slightly richer as well as made with other vegetables and probably even meat, this gravy can also be made in advance and be frozen for when you need to make something in a hurry.

Masala Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 3 medium-sized onions, chopped roughly
  • 3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped roughly
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Carom seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 4-5 almonds
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1-2 tbsp garam masala powder
  • 1-2 tbsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp oil

Method:

  • Keep the chopped potatoes in a pan of water so that it does not oxidise while you make the gravy.
  • In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and then add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel and carom seeds and stir for a few seconds each before adding the next spice.
  • When the spices splutter, add the garlic and ginger and saute it for a few seconds.
  • Then add the almonds and stir for a minute or so.
  • Now add the onions and saute till it turns translucent. When the onions turn translucent, add the chopped tomatoes and give it a good stir.
  • Add around a tsp of salt to let the onion and tomato become mushy. At the same time, add the red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and stir well.
  • Once the tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy, remove from the flame, let it cool down completely and then blend to a fine paste. You can add water as needed to thin it down while blending.
  • Drain the potatoes and keep aside.
  • In the same pan, use the balance oil and when it becomes warm, add the remaining cumin seeds. When the seeds start to splutter, add the turmeric powder and the asafoetida and then quickly add in the drained potatoes. Add a bit of salt, cover and cook on a low to medium flame till the potatoes are almost cooked.
  • At this point, pour in the prepared gravy and stir well, letting it come to a boil. Check the seasoning at this point and add what is missing.
  • Add the garam masala and crush the Kasuri Methi in the palms of your hands before sprinkling it over the gravy.
  • Let the gravy come to a nice rolling boil, reduce the flame and continue to boil for another five minutes.
  • Remove from the flame, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any rice or Indian flatbread.

Notes:

  • This is a very basic gravy and if you want to make it richer, you can add cashew nuts along with almonds when cooking. Also adding cooking cream while the gravy is boiling (towards the end) will make it more rich and creamy.
  • I made this with only potatoes, but you can add any combination of vegetables, including paneer (or tofu), cauliflower, peas, carrots etc to make it more wholesome.

Recipes: Sweet Sour Potatoes

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When I was in college, I used to make a potato recipe in a tamarind sauce a lot. That was a signature dish I had discovered in a magazine, most likely Women’s Era and had written it down. I did not bring that notebook with me when I moved to Singapore and now that recipe is lost.

The other day I suddenly started thinking of that recipe and turned to Google to see if I can find it somewhere in the world wide web. Unfortunately, I could not remember most of the ingredients and hence could not verify if any of the recipes were the same.

I did read a recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor which I felt was the closest to what I remembered and so adapted this recipe to my own. So here’s my version of tangy and sweet-sour potatoes.

Sweet Sour Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into long fingers with the jacket on
  • 1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and pulped and make it into 2 cups of tamarind water (or if you are using tamarind paste, use 2-3 tsp of the same)
  • 2 tbsp (more or less) Jaggery (you can alternate this with brown sugar if you don’t have access to jaggery)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 3-4 dried red chillies
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 tsp oil
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • In a dry pan, dry roast the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and chillies separately till they start to emit a nice aroma. Make sure you don’t burn the spices. Keep aside, cool and blend into a fine powder.
  • Heat oil in a largish pan and when the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds and let them pop. When they pop, add the asafoetida and stir for a couple of seconds. Then add in the powdered spice mix and stir for a couple of seconds.
  • Then pour in the tamarind water and jaggery and some salt and let it come to a nice rolling boil.
  • After about five minutes, when the raw smell of the tamarind goes away, add the potatoes and let them cook. Cook the potatoes till a knife pierced through one, goes in cleanly. Don’t overcook them. Check for salt at this point and add more if needed.
  • Finish off with taking the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and crush it to release the oils and aroma and sprinkle it over the potatoes and gravy.
  • Switch off the gas and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve with rice or rotis (Indian flatbreads)

    • Recipe: Aloo Matar Paneer aka Potatoes, Peas and Paneer

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    IMG_5612

    BB loves Paneer and will ask for it to be added to any and all vegetables at any given chance. On Saturday, when we had to go to to the hospital so GG & BB could meet their new cousin, I wanted to make dinner at home before we left, so that once we’re back, we can eat. The most obvious choice would be roti and a sabzi. I made a traditional Punjabi dish, but with a twist that R suggested which really took it up a notch. Try it, especially with the addition of this totally unexpected ingredient!

    Aloo Matar Paneer

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    Ingredients:

    • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces
    • 1 cup frozen peas
    • 1 cup frozen paneer, thawed in hot water for 10-15 minutes

    For the gravy

    • 2 onions, roughly chopped
    • 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
    • 1 inch piece of ginger
    • 5-6 cloves of garlic
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp fennel seeds
    • 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
    • 4-5 dried red chillies (or fresh if you have them)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • Salt to taste
    • 1 tsp Garam masala powder
    • 1-2 tsps Kasuri Methi
    • A handful  of chopped spinach leaves, washed well to remove any residue dirt
    • 2 tbsps oil

    Method:

    •  Chop the potatoes, and put the paneer in a bowl of hot water to thaw and soften.
    • Once the paneer is soft, cut them into smaller pieces.
    • In a pan, heat up 1 tbsp oil and once the oil is warmed, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and carom seeds in that order. Let each pop for a few seconds before adding the next one in.
    • Then add in the garlic and ginger, stirring a few minutes each time.
    • Once the garlic is slightly brown, add the onions and stir, letting it become translucent.
    • Next add the washed spinach and let it wilt.
    • Add the tomatoes next and a pinch of salt to help cook. The tomatoes need to break down completely and become mushy. At this point switch off the gas, let this cool and once cool, blend it to a smooth paste.
    • In the same pan, add the balance oil and once warm, put the potatoes in to cook. Add the turmeric powder here and let it coat the potatoes. Cover and add a few drops of water to help it cook. When it is halfway cooked, add the peas and let it cook.
    • When the potatoes and peas are three quarters cooked, add the blended paste and some water to bring it to the consistency you like.
    • Once the whole mixture is bubbling away, add the paneer pieces to this.
    • Check for salt and add the garam masala and if you want, add a tsp or two of ghee, this really makes the dish look as if you’ve cooked the whole thing in ghee!
    • Once the gravy has attained the consistency you want, switch off the gas and enjoy hot and tasty Aloo Matar Paneer.

    IMG_5610

    Tamarind Potato Curry

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    It’s food time today. I like to cook – the more exotic and different the better! But at the same time, I am incapable of following a recipe exactly as it is written in a book or website – I have to make some changes to it (itchy fingers I guess)!

    I used to make a sweet- sour potato curry long time ago, but didn’t exactly remember the ingredients needed or the way to make it. So I decided to turn to my trusty Internet. While surfing I found an Afghani recipe somewhat similar to what I was looking for and as usual meddled with it to make it all mine. The end result was tasty, albeit a bit sour for my taste. The next time I make this, I’ll go a bit more easy on the tamarind. Unfortunately I do not have a photograph for this as it was all eaten up before I thought of blogging about it, but here’s the recipe:

    Ingredients:
    6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
    2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
    1 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
    A small piece of jaggary
    A small piece of tamarind, (about the size of a marble) soaked in water for 20 minutes and extracted
    Salt to taste
    1 tsp red chili powder
    1 tsp coriander powder
    1 tsp cumin powder
    2 tsp oil (I used an olive-canola blend)
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    A pinch of turmeric

    Heat oil and when it is hot enough, put the cumin seeds in it. When the seeds start sputtering, add in the turmeric powder and stir for a few seconds.

    Now add the onions and stir till it becomes slightly translucent. Then put in the Ginger pieces and stir for a few seconds. Now add the potato pieces, chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir well and cover, stirring occasionally.

    When the potato is about three quarters cooked, add in the tamarind extract, salt and jaggary. Cook covered till the potato is tender and the sauce has thickened to coat the potatoes.

    Switch off the gas qnd serve hot garnished with coriander leaves. This was yummy with rotis.