Tag Archives: potatoes

Peas and Potato Curry

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A fast and easy dish to make. Simple flavours but a classic curry that makes a good accompaniment to any rice dish or chapatti.

Preparation Time-20 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

240 grams peas (fresh or frozen)
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced.
2 medium tomatoes de seeded and blended to a puree.
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander leaves.
2 tablespoons olive oil
100 ml water
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pan , when it is hot add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter.
2. Saute the garlic in the oil and  add the blended fresh tomatoes and tomato puree.
3. Add the salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and cook till the tomatoes start to separate from the oil.
4. Add the potatoes and peas and the water.
5.Bring the curry to boil then turn down the heat .Cover and cook till potatoes are  fully cooked.(approx 10 minutes)If you want more gravy than add a little extra water.
6. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the fresh chopped corriander.

Serve with Rice or chapattis

Spicy Sauted Potatoes with Sweetcorn & Peanuts

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There are thousands of varieties of potatoes in the World and most of us will have certain favourites for certain dishes.  Most of us who cook regularly, will have worked out which potatoes to use for curries, chips, etc. The ones I used for this recipe are the ones used mostly for making jacket potatoes – a variety called Estima. These potatoes can be baked or boiled and really make great jacket potatoes. I love having jacket potatoes as a quick snack but sometimes, I prefer to have them spicer with a hint of Indian spices. One of the ways of making the potato spicer is to sauté it with the spices. Every time, I make this I experiment with the spices and condiments. Please use this recipe as a guide but enjoy trying out different variations.

Ingredients:

2 large jacket potatoes
½ cup of sweetcorn
½ cup of peanuts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 tablespoon of oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
Some fresh coriander (optional)
1 green chilli (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon sugar to taste (optional)
Honey mustard sauce to taste (optional)
Grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Method:

1.  Wash the potato and  score it in the middle with a sharp knife.

2.  Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of water or wrap them in a wet kitchen paper and cook them in the microwave. I prefer to steam them in a pressure cooker.

3. Once cooked, peel the potato, cut them into cubes, sprinkle the salt and pepper or chilli powder to the potatoes.

4. In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add the cumin seeds.

5. Add the peanuts and allow them to brown slightly.

6. Now add the sweetcorn.

7. Add in the potatoes and stir well.

8. Add the sugar, lemon juice and fresh coriander (and the green chilli if you like hot food) to the potatoes. If you like honey mustard, add this just before serving the dish.

9.  Allow the potatoes to sauté well.

10.  If you like cheese, you can sprinkle some grated cheese on top of your potatoes when serving.

11. Serve this hot.

Images courtesy of Mina Joshi

Masala Aloo (Spicy Potatoes)

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Tender baby pototoes steamed and cooked in a fusion of spices and aromatic green peas gravy.

Preparation time – 15 minutes
Cooking time- 30 minutes
Serves- 4

Ingredients:

10 Baby new Potatoes
1 cup frozen or fresh Green Peas
1 red Onion finely diced
2 medium Tomatoes
1 teaspon Garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
1 /2 teaspoon Chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon MDH kitchen king masala( or garam masala)
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons single Cream
1 tablespoon freshly chopped Coriander

Method:

1. Wash and steam the potatoes until tender.
2. Prick the potatoes with a fork and keep aside.
3. Grind the peas coarsely and keep aside.
4. Dice and puree the tomatoes in a blender to a smooth puree.
4. In a pan add the oil ,when it is hot add the mustard seeds, wait for them to splutter and then add the garlic and onions and sauté till translucent.
5. Add the pureed tomatoes, followed by the salt, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric powders. Sauté for 3 more minutes until tomatoes and spices blend together.
6. Add the coarsely ground peas and cook with 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes  until the gravy becomes nicely blended with all the spices.
7. Add the steamed potatoes to the green gravy. Add another 1/2 cup of water.Stir in the MDH kitchen king masala.
8. Cover and cook allowing the gravy and spices to infuse and flavour the potatoes.
9. Finally stir in the cream and transfer to serving dish.Garnish with freshly chopped coriander

Serve with hot Chappatis or Rice

Tomato and Carrot Soup

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A fast and speedy soup that is hearty and delicious . 

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots diced          
8 tomatoes diced
1 potato diced
2 cups water  
1 bay Leaf                        
1/2 teaspoon black pepper.       
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Method:

1. In a microwaveable bowl add the bay leaf, potatoes and carrots  with 1 cup of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes untilvegetables  fully cooked .
2. Blend the tomatoes in a blender jug and puree them. Strain to remove skin and seeds and pour into a saucepan and add 1 cup water, simmer on medium heat.
3.Once vegetables are cooked remove the bay leaf  and add them to the simmering tomato puree.
4. Add more water to get desired consistency. Add the salt, pepper and sugar.Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Simmer for 5  more minutes.
5. You can either puree the soup in a blender jug to make it smooth  or leave it chunky .

To Serve:
Garnish with a drizzle of fresh cream and serve hot with fresh bread.

Dhampur – Dinner is Served!

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Dhampur’s city streets

If you’ve heard of Dhampur, India at all, you’re probably thinking either ‘sugar mill’ or ‘don’t go out at night.” Chances are, you haven’t heard of Dhampur. Six long hours from Delhi, Dhampur hosts a bustlingly market, a sugar mill, some schools, lots of fields of sugar cane, and little else. Unless you are a traveler with a love of discovering the ‘real India,’ there’s very little reason you’d come here. Except, of course, for the food…  Dhampur’s divinely sweet desserts and sweets couldn’t get any fresher with the sugar being grown and produced virtually on the confectioners’ doorsteps.  And then there’s the diverse salty wonders that are namkeen sold from great barrels, fresh samosas, potato cakes, spiced chickpeas, rose ice-creams, pakoras, …  Visit the Punjabi quarter for your fix of Punjab’s finest or try the market for exotic fruits and vegetables.And if you can’t go out at night, what do you do with yourself? Cook! The women of Dhampur seem to be born with an uncanny ability to cook. In times of hardship, they can somehow turn two potatoes and three tomatoes into a feast fit for a king.  In better times, the feasts take on epic proportions and you go home wondering if your food baby may well be quintuplets.

Some of Dhampur’s fresh delights…

Rashi Adhikari is a bright young lady already achieving her dream of becoming a great chef. She has already earned acclaim for her talents in the kitchen, where she blends tastes from all over India. A fan of cooking shows, Rashi draws inspiration from all over the world. Her family and friends couldn’t be more delighted with the time and effort she puts into practicing her craft- particularly when they called upon to try the latest creation.  Spicy or sweet, breakfast or dinner, veg or non-veg: whatever this talented young cook serves up is always delicious.

Rashi is delighted to be sharing her recipe for Mustard Potatoes with City Connect readers. Enjoy!

Mustard Potatoes

Mustard Potato

Ingredients: —–    

     Potato                                      -                        10 to 12 (Small)

      Mustard Oil                        -                        2tbsp

      Mustard Paste                        -                        2tsp

       Ginger paste                        -                        1tsp

       Garlic paste                        -                        2tsp

      Tomato puree                         -                        half cup

     Onion paste                         -                        2tbsp

      Asafoetida (heeng)            -                        1pinch

      Cumin                                    -                        1/2tsp           

      Salt                                    -                        To taste

      Turmeric Powder             -                        1tsp.

      Red chili Powder            -                        To taste

      Coriander Powder            -                        1tsp

      Coriander leaf                         -                        To garnish

       Water                                    -                        as required

      Garam masala                         -                        ½tsp

    

NOTES- Mustard paste is made from pureed mustard seeds, rather than the mustard available from supermarkets. Garam masala should be readily available at your local supermarket. If you cannot find it, prepare a mixture of cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves to taste.

 

Method:

1) Wash and peel the small potatoes. Small potatoes can be left whole, larger potatoes should be cut into smaller pieces and par boiled.

2) Heat the mustard oil in pan on a medium heat.

3) Add Asafoetida and cumin to oil and let them pop.

4) Brown the potatoes in the oil until half-cooked.

5) Using a blender or mortar and pestle, blend ginger, garlic, onion, tomato and mustard, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala and salt into a thick paste.

6) Add paste to the pan with the potato and fry on low heat until the paste become brown and potato is fully cooked.

7) Garnish with Finely chopped Coriander

Serve and enjoy the innovative flavours of Dhampur’s finest up and coming chef!