Kutty potato fry

09/20/2008

Today being Saturday and all, I decided to do a potato curry. I remembered the small potatoes in our fridge's vegetable tray, and decided to try out a recipe from Rachael Ray's show. Apparently, Rachel had borrowed this recipe from Jacques Pepin and modified it to fit her 30 min. show.

She used butter, herbs and chicken stock in her recipe. I have borrowed it from her and changed it into a low-cal South-Indian potato curry recipe. Check it out.

Ingredients:

Small potatoes - peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp black gram dhal

1 tsp sambhar powder

or

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

salt to taste

a pinch of asafoetida

a pinch of turmeric

Fry mustard and then black gram dhal in oil. Add asafoetida, salt, sambhar powder and turmeric to this. When slightly browned, add the peeled potatoes to this. Add enough cold water so that the three-fourths of the potatoes still show above the surface. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Use a fork to determine if the potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Now, open the lid and let cook under reduced heat. All the liquid will evaporate and the potatoes will nicely roast. Takes about 5 minutes. Turn over frequently to brown on all sides. This dish is now ready for your enjoyment.

Busy woman's Paruppusili

09/19/08

Made the mango kuzambu and this curry today for lunch. I decided to take pics of this and post in the blog as well.

Ingredients:

Green beans cut in 1 inch pieces

1 cup of Chana Dhal

1/4 tsp of Turmeric

1 tsp of Dhaniya powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds

1 tsp of Black gram dhal

Pressure cook the green beans and chana dhal together with turmeric. There should be just enough water to cover the surface.

Fry the mustard and black gram dhal with a pinch of asafoetida.

Add the cooked beans and dhal to this. Add salt to taste, and the dhaniya powder. Do not stir fry too much as the dhal would break and become mush. Lower the flame and let the beans and dhal stiffen a bit before stir frying it.

Cook until the beans and dhal are slightly browned.

Pretend Pepperoni Pizza

09/18/08

Here's a pizza I made for the kids' snack today. Janya wanted a Pepperoni pizza, so I had to pretend that the cherry tomatoes were pepperoni :)

Mango Maha Kaara Kuzambu

I was bored out of my mind this morning, and I decided to try out a recipe from Sun TV's "Aaha Enna Rusi" program. The recipe was for "Naalanju Meen Kuzambu", and I modified it for a vegetarian palate and renamed it as well.

I am as excited about the pictures of the recipe-in-progress, as the end product itself :) But it took me longer to create this blog than make this recipe.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
9 pearl onions (purple is best)

12 garlic pieces
1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (for 'maha' spicy)

(or)

1 tsp sambar powder (for less spicy version)

6 or 7 long mango pieces, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp of tamarind paste
Salt to taste

1 tbsp gingelly oil

5 or 6 curry leaves

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 pinch of asafoetida

Grind together 4 pearl onions, 5 garlic pieces, pepper and chilli powder together.

Heat oil in an iluppa chatti. Fry fenugreek seeds until they turn light red and add curry leaves later. Add a pinch of asafoetida for flavor.

Add chopped pearl onions and garlic; fry until the raw smell is gone. Add the mango pieces and fry until slightly seared and soft. Add the ground masala to this.

Add a little water, add the tamarind paste and salt, bring it to a boil. Reduce flame, cover and cook for 15 min.

Kuzambu is ready when it has thickened a bit. Enjoy this with rice, preferably, Jeera Samba ;)