Pyaj Aar Posto Diye Aloo Bhaja...long overdue!!

Pyaj Aar Posto Diye Aloo Bhaja (Potatoes cooked with onion and poppy seeds)…this post has been lying in my draft folder for forever now…and it came to mind only when I made this for lunch today…one of the simplest and tastiest potato dishes that I have ever eaten…and so says this confirmed potato hater!! 

Pyaj Aar Posto Diye Aloo Bhaja (Potatoes cooked with onion and poppy seeds)

Ingredients:

• Potatoes, cut lengthwise, 2 large
• Green chilies, slit, 2-3 (or use 1 dried red chili) 
• Onion, finely sliced, 1 medium size (optional, I like to add)
• Posto/Khus Khus/ White Poppy seeds, 2 tbsp 
• Kashmiri Red chili powder, ½ tsp (used for colour, optional, I like to add)
• Turmeric powder, ½ tsp (optional, I skip)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 -2 tbsp 

Instructions:

Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise like French fries (or even thinner). Soak them in cold water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and keep aside. (If using turmeric, sprinkle turmeric and salt on the potatoes and keep them aside for 5-10 minutes, drain well)

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the chilies, followed by the onions. Fry the onions on low heat till they start to caramelize.

Add the potatoes, poppy seeds, salt and mix well. Toss around and fry on high heat for a couple of minutes.

Lower the heat, sprinkle Kashmiri red chili powder (if using) and mix well

Now cover and cook till the potatoes are almost cooked.

Uncover and finish cooking on medium high heat till potatoes go light brown and crisp.

Serve hot with dal and rice/rotis.

Bhutte Ke Kees (Grated corn, spiced and cooked in milk)...google rescue!!

Bhutte Ke Kees (Grated corn, spiced and cooked in milk)…saw the bhuttas today and after I had my fill of the roasted ones, decided to google and make this dish…the recipe is a mix of various recipes I found on the net...some add curry leaves, some sugar, some coconut, some skip ginger...I went with what I thought would suit our taste buds and it turned out pretty well…Thank you Google aunty once again!!

Bhutte Ke Kees (Grated Corn, spiced and cooked in milk)

Ingredients:

• Corn cobs, coarsely grated, 2 cups 
• Mustard seeds, ½  tsp
• Cumin seeds, ¼ tsp
• Hing/Asafoetida, a big fat pinch
• Green chillies, finely chopped, 2-3
• Ginger, finely grated/minced, 1 tsp
• Milk, ¾ cup
• Water, ¼ cup
• Lime juice, 1- 2 tbsp, to taste
• Turmeric powder, ½ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Ghee/Oil, 2 tbsp
• Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Instructions:

Heat the ghee in pan over low heat. Add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start spluttering add in the hing, green chillies, ginger and fry for about 10 seconds.

Now add in the grated corn, turmeric and salt. Mix well and stirring constantly, let it cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.

Add in the milk and water. Mix well, cover and let it cook till corn is completely cooked and almost dry.

Mix in the lemon juice.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Doi Potol/Dahi Parwal (Pointed Gourd in yogurt gravy )...My Way!!

Doi Potol/Dahi Parwal (Pointed Gourd in yogurt gravy)…done my way!!

Doi Potol/Dahi Parwal (Pointed Gourd in yogurt gravy)

Ingredients:

• Potol/Parwal/Pointed gourd, 8- 10 pieces
• Cinnamon, 1” long
• Green Cardamoms, 2
• Cloves, 3
• Bayleaf, 1                               
• Curd, ½ cup
• Onion, 1 medium size
• Plain Yogurt/Dahi/Doi, ½ cup
• Ginger paste, 1 tbsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
• Coriander powder, 1 tsp (optional)
• Cumin powder, 1 tsp (optional)
• Sugar, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Water, about 1 cup
• Green chillies, 3-4
• Bengali Garam Masala Powder, ¼ tsp (refer to notes)
• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Ghee/Oil, 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Wash and pat dry the potols. Cut off the ends and peel off the skin in alternate strips. Make an inch long slit on both ends.

Chop and grind the onion into a fine paste.

Whisk the yogurt well with ginger paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and on high heat, fry the potols until lightly browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

In the same pan, add some ghee or oil. When the oil is hot, add cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves and bayleaf and fry for about 5-10 seconds.

Add in the onion paste and let it fry on low heat till all the water has evaporated. Ensure this is done on low heat so that the onion paste gets cooked without turning red/brown.

Add in the yogurt mixture and again on low heat fry till all the water has evaporated once again from the mix. Remember – low heat and constantly stirring.

Add about a cup of water now and bring to a boil. Add the fried potols. Reduce the heat and let it cook till the veggies are done and the gravy is reduced to desired consistency.

Check for seasoning and adjust salt and sugar. Add some green chillies, garam masala powder and switch off the heat.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Notes:

• The final taste can be as sweet or as sour you want it be. I typically use about ½ tsp sugar. The amount of sugar you use will also depend on how sour the yogurt is.

• Do feel free to adjust the amount of onion paste to suit how much and how thick you want the gravy to be.

• I normally skip adding the coriander and cumin powder.

• Want a yellow looking curry? Increase turmeric powder to ¾ tsp and switch Kashmiri Red chilli powder with a bit of your regular chilli powder

• You can add potatoes to this dish, if you want – cut into thick wedges, fry separately till light brown and add back to the gravy along with the potols.

• Bengali Garam Masala recipe: equally quantities cloves, cinnamon and cardamom – either sun them for a few hours or dry roast them lightly and then grind into a fine powder

Lehsuni Arbi/Crisp Fried Colocasia coated with garlic and spices...my love affair with garlic!

Lehsuni Arbi/Crisp Fried Colocasia coated with garlic and spices…if you love garlic this recipe is for YOU!! Even if you hate this veggie, I PROMISE you this recipe will make you a convert...try it…you know I don’t take my promises lightly!! J

Lehsuni Arbi (Crisp Fried Colocasia coated w/garlic & spices)

Ingredients:

• Arbi/Colocasia/Taro, 500 gm
• Garlic, about 12-15 cloves, grated
• Onion, 1 medium, finely sliced (optional)
• Oil, 2 tbsp plus for deep frying
• Turmeric, ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder, ½ - ¾ tsp
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Garam masala powder, ½ tsp
• Aamchur/Dried Mango Powder, ½ tsp
• Salt, taste
• Fresh green coriander leaves, a handful

Instructions:

Wash and boil the arbi – make sure they don't go mushy. (In my pressure cooker, one whistle works well)

Peel and halve them vertically.

Deep fry these pieces in oil till golden brown and crisp. Drain well and keep aside.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a kadhai/wok. Add in the sliced onions and fry on low heat till they turn golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

Into the same kadhai, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Heat on lowest, add in the grated garlic. Fry for about 10 seconds or so and add in the salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Mix well and let the spices cook out for about 10-15 seconds. Don’t let them burn!! Don’t!!

Add back the fried onions and fried arbi and mix well so that the arbi gets coated with the masala.

Add a tablespoons of water, cover and cook for a a minute or two. No longer as you don’t want it to get too soft or mushy.

Sprinkle the garam masala and aamchur. Mix well, garnish with coriander leaves and done!

Goes best with phulkas right off the tawa.