Baby Potato - Bihari Style

This is a recipe that I watched on a TV show presented by Chef Ajay Chopra, who said this was a typical Bihari dish.  It looked interesting enough for me to try.  The ingredients like Kalonji, Fennel are not normally used in South Indian cuisine and it has a different taste altogether.  And sometimes different tastes are appreciated as this one was.  We had it with rotis, but I think it would be great with a bowl of hot rice and dal.

The dish is simple to make except for the peeling of the little potatoes.  Reminded me of my time comic character Sad Sack peeling potatoes in the army :-)

Ingredients:
Baby Potato - 300 g

Methi (fenugreek seeds) - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Kalonji - 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds ( Somph) - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida (hing) - large pinch
Green chili - 1 large

Coriander powder  -1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - to taste
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Oil -3-4 tbsp

Peel the little potatoes.  Parboil. ( cook till just tender - I went a little beyond )
Drain and keep

In a wok, heat the oil.
Add methi, cumin, kalonji, fennel and asafoetida.
Sauté .  Add the parboiled potatoes

Allow to fry with a slit green chili on low heat till turning golden.

In a small bowl, take the powders - coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt.  Add a little water and make a solution.
Add to the potatoes.
And the garam masala.
Mix. Keep covered a little while, stirring carefully now and then.  If required a little more oil.

Remove from heat. Place in bowl
Garnish with coriander leaves.

I think a squeeze of lime would also add a zing to the dish.

Hasselback Potatoes

I first saw this recipe on Food for Swaps.  Loved the look of it.  It would be an ideal accompaniment to a meat/fish continental meal, but one can always think of how to fit it in a vegetarian menu.  And it looks quite fancy !

If the potatoes are large, one may not be able to have a whole one, but as a rule one potato per person.

For 2:

Potatoes - 2
Garlic cloves - 2
Butter - 1 tbsp ( melted)
Olive oil - a generous drizzle
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Herbs - I only used coriander, but you could use whatever..
Sour cream - a big dollop for each potato
Cheese (optional) - to taste too !

Scrub the potato well.  You can leave the peel on
Slit potato all the way to the bottom but not through it - be very careful
(Tip - once done put them in ice cold salted water  - the cold water helps the slits widen )
Pat dry.  ( Let me be honest - I skipped this step of putting it in cold water and it worked too )

Slice garlic thinly
Insert into the slits.  Make sure you put them right into the slit and not leave it on top.
Any garlic portion on top gets burnt as the baking proceeds.

Preheat oven to 200 C
Pour melted butter on top of the potato
And olive oil.  Use pastry brush to make the job easier
Bake for 40-45 minutes
Check if done.

Ideally the exterior should be crisp and the interior tender and buttery !
If using cheese, remove in the last 5 minutes, sprinkle cheese and return to bake

Remove. Season with salt and pepper
Pour a dollop of sour cream.
Garnish with herbs and serve hot.

Enjoy !

( Also referred to as Accordion potatoes )

* Can be had without the sour cream or cheese.  But you know which will taste better ! 

Aloo (Potato ) Kathliyan

This recipe is from  Lata Raja's Flavours and Tastes.  It is nice to find a potato recipe that looks different and still tastes good.  If you have a food processor or a gadget that makes even thin rounds of potato it will make the job easier.  Try it.

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 250 gms
Cumin seeds ( jeera ) 1/2 tsp
Carom seeds (ajwain) 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic crushed - 1/4 tsp
Ginger crushed - 1/4 tsp  ( I added ginger-garlic paste)
Oil - about 2 -3 tbsps
Green chili - 1 small finely chopped
Red chili flakes - to taste - depending on spice tolerance
Chaat masala powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Asafoetida (hing) - large pinch
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves for garnish
Salt to taste
Lime juice - 1 tsp

Wash, peel potatoes and evenly slice them into thin rounds
Bring water to a boil .  Add turmeric powder .  Place the cut potato into the pan
Allow it to boil and simmer for a couple of minutes. The potato should be just soft and not overly boiled
Take a wok, add the oil
And the cumin and carom seeds
The curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger and garlic, asafoetida, green chilies, chili flakes
Sauté
Add the potato slices, salt,chili powder (if you so desire a spicier product) and chaat masala.
Allow the potato slices to brown a bit - not necessary - but I like it better that way!
And all the spices to coat the slices
Be gentle to avoid breaking the slices.
Squeeze lime juice
Garnish with coriander leaves
Serve and enjoy !

Sautéd Potato with Fresh Spice Powder

Another recipe from Tasty Palate.  This is a variation to the usual shallow fried potato curry that I make generally with rasam and hot rice.  The freshly made spice powder adds to the taste.

Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes - 4 medium
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Spice Powder - roast and grind to a coarse powder 
Black gram dal  (urad) - 1/2 tsp
Bengal gram dal - (chana) - 1/2 tsp
Coriander (dhania) seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilies - 4

Seasoning
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - large pinch
Cumin ( jeera ) - 1/2 tsp

Heat oil in a wok
Add the mustard, allow to splutter, add cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves
And then the potatoes, turmeric, spice powder, salt
Toss till well coated.
Fry for a while till the potatoes get a golden crust

Spicy Baby Potato Curry

The original recipe here was titled Aloo Masaledar. I am not sure about that, since I find many different variants for the recipe. But it was good. And was it SPICY!  So, I cut down a bit of the spice. Taste before serving and that can be adjusted with more spice if necessary.

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes – 20

Tomatoes – 3-4 medium chopped ( better to use tomato  paste 4 tbsp– I think that will give a smoother texture)

Onions – 2 medium finely diced

Green chilies – 2 finely diced again. ( original recipe called for more – but use at your discretion)

Ginger – ½ tsp grated

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Cumin – ¼ tsp

Chili powder – to taste

Garam masala – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – break into smaller bits

Coriander leaves – chopped finely

Oil

Salt to taste

Boil potatoes till just done. Peel

Shallow fry in a little oil till slightly brown.

In a pan heat oil, add green chilies, cumin, ginger and onions. Sauté on low heat for about 10 minutes

Add the tomatoes/paste, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, curry leaves, coriander leaves. Simmer.

Prick the potatoes and add.  Mix well. Add salt to taste Simmer for a few more minutes

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

The humble potato is not one of my favourite veggies unless of course it is in the form of french fries or the equally unhealthy deliciously fried chips.  But the recipe in the Sunday Express caught my eye and there was an interesting story about how the Dum which means steam became a popular method of cooking in Awadh.  The recipe was also interesting.  I am reproducing the recipe as it appeared in the article here, because that is the authentic recipe, I adapted to suit the ingredients that I had ready in my kitchen. My comments will be in blue.

Ingredients

•8 medium potatoes

•100 ml oil

•1 tsp caraway seeds (shahi zeera)  ( I did not have this )

•2 chopped onions

•1 tsp black cardamom,

•Pounded 5 tbsp raisins

•5 tbsp cashewnuts

•Salt to taste

For the curry

•60 gms chopped onions

•1/4 cup curd

•1 cup tomato puree

•4 tsp ginger-garlic pastes•3 tsp almond paste

•1 tsp aniseed (saunf)  

•4 green cardamom

•6 cloves

•1/2 tsp mace powder (javitri) ( this one too was missing)

•4 tsp red chilli paste ( used chili powder)

•2 tsp cumin powder

•1 tbsp coriander powder

•Salt to taste

•Oil for frying

Method

Peel the potatoes, slice off the tops and scoop out the centres. Fry the shells and the centres to a golden brown. Allow the centres to cool, then mash.  ( Use slightly largish potatoes - otherwise it is difficult to scoop out the centers and difficult to fill it too)

Heat the oil in a wok, sauté the caraway seeds and the aniseed. Add onions and sauté till transparent. Add the fried potato centres, cardamom powder, raisins, and the cashew nuts. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with salt and keep aside. Stuff the potato shells with the prepared mixture and keep aside. (I had extra filling left over, so I used it to thicken the gravy - next step)

For the curry

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan and sauté onions till transparent. Add curd, tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste, almond paste, aniseed, mace, caraway seeds, green cardamoms, cloves, red chilli paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, and salt. Stir fry for 10 minutes.

Place the stuffed potatoes in the curry. Cover the lid and seal with dough. Cook on slow fire for about 10 minutes. Then place the potatoes in a serving dish, strain the curry ( I did not strain) and pour on the top of the potatoes.

Serve hot with rice.


It was a nice dish. If you are making it when you have company, make sure you have some help for preparation too, and keep all the ingredients ready .. Mise en place .....and it will be smooth sailing. 

Shepherd's Pie - Vegetarian !!

Saw this on Cooking Isn't Rocket Science - Chef Manju Malhi.  And changed it to a vegetarian dish - if ever there was a Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie.  Also made in the microwave in this case.

Ingredients
Oil - 2 tbsp
Bay leaves2 
onion -1  finely chopped
green chillies -2  finely chopped
soya granules - 100   ( substitute with mince lamb for the authentic Shepherd's Pie)
carrot -1  peeled and sliced ( round pieces)
Salt to taste
Cumin  -1 tsp ground
Plain flour or maida - 25g
Stock300ml  (chicken stock for the non vegetarians)
Tomato purée - 1 tbsp
Potatoes -200 gm , peeled and boiled and mashed
Butter -15 gm 
Milk 4 tbsp
Cheese - 50 gm  grated

Soak soya granules in warm water for 10 minutes
Squeeze out water and keep.
Take a pan.
Heat the oil and add the bay leaves.
Add onion and fry awhile.
Add  green chillies and soya granules and the carrots.
Sauté 8-10 minutes .

Add the salt, cumin and flour and stir for a minute.
Add stock and the tomato purée.
The mixture will begin to thicken. Cook till it thickens properly.
Keep aside.

Add butter and milk to mashed potatoes.
Make a thick mash.

Grease an ovenproof dish.
Place the thickened soya mixture.
Spread the mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle the cheese.

Place in microwave for about 5 minutes.
 Once the dish is done. Cut the pie into slices and gently remove the portions onto a plate.

Dahiwale Aloo Ki Sabzi ( Potato in Yogurt Gravy)

(The ingredients may seem a lot, but is actually quite a simple process)

Ingredients:
Potato - 200 gms ( boiled and cut into medium sized pieces)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Kalonji - 1/2 tsp ( Nigella seeds)
Saunf - 1/2 tsp (Fennel seeds)
Asafoetida - pinch ( hing)
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon sticks - 1
Curry leaves - few
Green chili - 1 slit
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsp ( or to taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curd - well beaten - 1 cup
Bengal gram flour (Besan) - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste.

Take ghee in a wok
Add cumin, kalonji, saunf and hing
Once they brown and crackle add the Cinnamon,cloves,curry leaves and green chili
Saute for a while.
Add the potato and the chili,coriander,turmeric powders.
Add salt.
Add a cup of water and allow it to boil.
Mix a spoon of besan to the beaten curd and blend well.
Add the curd mixture to the potato curry, stirring continuously so that the gravy does not split.
Simmer.
Remove garnish with coriander leaves
Serve with the peas puris ( recipe above)