Alu or Aloo Pitka - A side dish recipe from Assam

 Alu Pitika or mashed potato is a side dish recipe from North East India.

Ingredients:

Potato - 4 nos

Mustard Oil - 1/2 sp (if the smell is not preferred Gingely oil can be used)

Onions - 2 nos

Green chilli - 2 nos

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method:

Pressure cook potatoes. Peel and mash the potatoes. Chop the onions finely. Chop the green chillies finely. Chop coriander leaves finely. Mash all the ingredients together along with the mashed potatoes. Makes a great side dish for rotis and ghee rice.

This is similar to Potato Podimas dish of Tamil Nadu

Ginger Garlic Potato

Whenever I learn a new dish made of potato kids want me to try it out immediately and it happenned with this Ginger Garlic Potato recipe too. When I was describing the recipe to my kids they said mom please try it out and send it to school tomorrow. (Why to school specifically, I will be sending it in a box alone and they will not have the guilt that they were not able to complete it.) But they had liked it so much they wanted me to do it again. One of the few recipes that the kids loved after tweaking it a bit from the original recipe.

I have added the quantity that I have used but you can adjust it as and how you like it. This can be made both with baby potato and also equally cut regular potatoes. This makes a great side dish for rasam rice or vathakuzhambu rice or pulav or chappathi or roti.

Ingredients:
Baby Potato - 1 Kg
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 8 pods
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Sambar Powder - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Pressure cook and peel the potatoes. Make a paste of mint leaves and jeera.  In a pan add oil and when it gets hot add chopped ginger and garlic and saute a while add the potatoes and mix well. Add the mint jeera paste and mix well so that all the potatoes get coated well. Add the salt and sambar powder and mix thoroughly. Reduce the flame and cook till all the potatoes are coated with all the ingredients added.

Baby Potato Pudina Roast

Ingredients:

1. Baby potatoes - Around 15-20

2. Pudina - one bunch

3. Green chillies - 4

4. Onion - 1 small sized

5. Coconut shredded - 2 tblspoons

6. Garlic - 3 cloves

7. Ginger - 1 inch piece

8. For seasoning - Oil about 3-4 tblspoons, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder

9. Salt - as needed.

Method:

1. Boil the whole baby pototes in water. Take care and avoid over-cooking. Peel the skin.

2. Grind the items mentioned from 2 through 7 into a paste.

3. In a kadai, pour oil and season with items mentioned for seasoning.

4. Add the ground paste. Saute until the raw smell goes.

5. Add the whole baby potatoes and salt.

6. Put the stove in low-medium and let the potatoes roast well.

7. Alternatively, once we add the potatoes and salt, we can mix the potatoes with the masala well and then transfer it into a baking tray, and broil the potatoes on high for about 8-10 minutes until it s a well-done roast.

Yummmmmmmy pudina-potato roast is ready. Hot-rice and rasam, chappathi, sambhar sadham, curd-rice, all goes well with this roast.

Potato Capsicum Curry by Uma Sridharan

Ingredients:

Potatoes  1 kg

Onion  1/2 kg chopped

Capsicum  1 chopped,

Coriander  1 Tbsp, finely chopped

Sambhar Powder 2 tbsp

Dhania Powder 1 tbsp

Lime/lemon juice 2 tsp (Optional)

Mustard seeds, 

urid dhall, 

curry leaves  for seasoning

Salt to taste

Preparation 

Cook the potatoes. Cut Potatoes in chunks. 

Mix the potato chunks with all the powders, salt and lemon juice. 

Keep aside. Heat a heavy bottomed pan. Pour 3 tbsp of cooking oil.

Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and urid dhall

Now add chopped onion and capsicum. Sauté till onion turns transparent.

Add potato chunks. Mix well. Sauté till all the ingredients get mixed well.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle coriander leaves.

Baby Potato fry Chettinad Style

Baby potatoes are always every one's favourites but making same recipes every time is quite boring. While searching the net, I came across a recipe which is prepared in Chettinad style.

Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 1/2 kg
Shallots - 250 gms or 24 nos (medium sized)
Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Red Chillies - 6 nos
Black pepper corn - 12 nos
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the potatoes and peel them. Prick them with a tooth pick to make small holes in each one of them.

Dry roast urad dal, red chillies, black pepper, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Grind them to a fine powder (Alternatively Chettinad Masala powder can also be used).

Peel the shallots (sambar onion) and if they are large cut them into halves. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the shallots and fry till they turn glassy. Add the potatoes, salt, ground masala powder and mix well. Cook on low flame and keep turning the potatoes so that it turns golden brown all over.

Chop the coriander leaves finely and add it to the potatoes and mix. Serve with rice or with rotis.

Note: If you are serving it with rotis, cut the baby potatoes into half before adding to the pan.

Alu Pitika - A side dish recipe from Assam

Alu Pitika or mashed potato is a side dish recipe from North East India.

Ingredients:
Potato - 4 nos
Mustard Oil - 1/2 sp (if the smell is not preferred Gingely oil can be used)
Onions - 2 nos
Green chilli - 2 nos
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Method:
Pressure cook potatoes. Peel and mash the potatoes. Chop the onions finely. Chop the green chillies finely. Chop coriander leaves finely. Mash all the ingredients together along with the mashed potatoes. Makes a great side dish for rotis and ghee rice.

How to make French Fries at home

Ingredients:
Potato - 6 big nos
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:
Choose firm potatoes. Wash and clean the potatoes and cut them into thin finger like strips of about 1/2 inch length. Wash the potatoes more than twice to remove the excess starch in it. Soak the potato slices in ice cold water for about an hour. Drain well and rub with kitchen towels to remove the excess water.

Image of frying basket round

Heat oil and when hot place a frying basket preferably round in shape inside the pan and add a layer of the potato strips. Mix 4 tbsp of salt in 1/2 cup of water and mix well till all the salt dissolves. Add 1 tbsp of salt water to the basket and mix it well so that all the potato strips are evenly coated. Fry the potato strips in the basket until they are golden brown.

The same procedure is to be repeated to all the batches. Remove the excess oil by placing the fried strips in kitchen towels.

Serve with tomato ketchup or spicy cheese dip.

Potato Kaara Curry

A dish that is very easy to make, which is liked by all age groups, this potato curry also known as kara curry (spiy curry) goes very well with vareity rice, rasam, sambar and even curd rice.

Ingredients:
Potato - 1 kg
Salt to taste
Oil - 1/4 cup
Red Chilly Powder - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Broken Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Method:
Pressure cook potatoes. Deskin the potatoes. Cut them into reasonable size pieces. Heat oil in a flat bottom non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add broken urad dal and when it becomes red in colour add asafodeita, turmeric powder and salt. Add the potato pieces to the pan and add chilly powder. Kepp tossing them so that all the sides become golden brown in colour.

Using of a flat non stick pan will give a good result.

Prestige Omega Deluxe Multipan Round

Potato Rice

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup
Potato - 3 Medium sized
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 flakes
Green Chillies - 8 nos
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Ghee - 5 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom - 2 nos
Cinnamon - 1 piece
Bay leaf - 1 no
Clove - 1
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash and soak the rice for about 15 to 20 mins. Cut the onions to thin slices. Cut tomato to small cubes. Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them to small cubes. Slit the green chillies. Chop ginger and garlic into very fine pieces.

Heat  1 tbsp of ghee in a pressure pan or hard bottom pan. When hot drain the rice thoroughly and fry it in the ghee for about a min till all the grains are coated with ghee and no moisture is left in the rice. Transfer the rice to a plate and spread it and let it cool.

Heat the remaining ghee and add cardamom, cinnamon, bayleaf, clove and saute for a few seconds. Add green chillies, finely chopped onions, ginger and garlic and mix well. Saute these items till the onions turns glassy. Add the tomato and salt. Mash the tomatoes and mix well. Let the tomato get cooked thoroughly. Add the potato and peas and add 1 cup of water. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for about 5 mins till the potatoes become soft.

Add the rice to the pan and add another 1 1/2 cup of water. Mix all the ingredients together and cover it with a lid. (If it is pressure pan, it can cook till the steam comes out, no need to put weight). Wait for about 5 mins and check whether the mixture have not settled at the bottom. Mix well again and cook for another 5 mins. If the rice is not cooked well sprinkle another 1/4 cup of water.

Can be served with onion or boondhi raitha.

Recipe for Potato Masala Curry

Ingredients:
Potato - 1/2 kg
Fresh grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Gram dal - 1 tbsp
Sambar Onions (Shallots) - 6 nos
Red Chillies - 8 to 10 nos
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic flakes - 12 nos
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 2 nos
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil and peel the skin of the potatoes. Cut them into square pieces. Grind red chillies, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, sambar onions, gram dal, garlic, ginger and 1/4 cup of coriander leaves to a fine paste.

Extract thick milk out of coconut. Chop onions and tomatoes finely.

In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds. When the splutter add the chopped onions, tomatoes and turmeric powder. Cook well till the oil floats on top. Add the ground masala and required salt, mix well. Add the potato pieces and cook for a few minutes till the potato pieces are cooked well in the masala. Add the coconut milk and cook for just a minute.

Remove from flame. Decorate it with chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.

How to make Kashmiri Dum Aloo in Microwave

Kashmiri Dum Aloo can also be made in microwave. 

Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 18 to 20

Kashmiri Chillies - 5 to 6 nos or 1 tsp of Kashmiri Chilly Powder.
Curd - 2 cups unsour.
Oil to deep fry
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Powder - 2 tbsp
Gingely oil - 1/4 cup (Mustard oil can also be used, if taste and smell can be tolerated)
Clove - 2 nos
Asafodeita - a pinch
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method to make Kashmiri Dum Aloo in Microwave:
Wash and pierce the potatoes with fork. Micro high the potatoes for about 5 to 7 mins by placing the potatoes directly on the turn table.

Make a paste of Kashmiri chillies and whip it with the curd.

In a microwave glass shallow container add 1 tsbp of oil and 1 tbsp of ghee for about a min. Add the curd paste and cover it with a lid and cook in microwave high for 3 mins and medium high for 4 mins. Add the potatoes and cook in micro high for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Aloo Poha Recipe

Poha is a very healthy dish for any age. Aloo Poha can be had as an evening snack or as a full fledged dinner if you are dieting.

Ingredients:
Poha - 2 cups
Potatoes - 1
Onion - 1
Green Chillies - 2
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 2 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Lemon - 1
Coriander Leaves - finely chopped
Salt  - To taste


Method
Soak Poha in water for about 30 mins. Wash and drain the water and spread it in a bowl. Add salt, turmeric powder and toss it well. Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and mash it well. Cut chillies into small pieces and chop the onions into fine piece.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when it splutters add channa dal, urad dal, peanuts, curry leaves, green chillies and fry for a while. Add the onions and saute for a while. Add the potatoes and mix everything together very well. Add salt and cook till everything is mixed thoroughly. Add poha and mix well.

Remove from flame and decorate it with coriander leaves. When cool add lemon juice and mix well.

Baby Potato Pepper Fry

Ingredients:
Baby Potato - 1/2 kg
Oil - For frying
Salt - To taste
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Pressure cook the potatoes and peel the skin. Mix salt, Coriander powder and pepper powder in 2 tbsp of water and coat it over the cooked potatoes. Shallow fry the potatoes.

Potato Curry - A Kerala Recipe

Many households cook potato as Diwali special. This recipe is made using coconut milk.

Ingredients:
    Potatoes - 1/2 kg
    Coconut milk - 1/2 cup thick and 1/2 cup thin milk
    Red Chillies - 2 to 4
    Onion (preferably small ones, if not 2 big ones) - finely chopped 1/2 cup
    Cumin or Jeera - 1/2 tsp
    Dhaniya (coriander seeds) - 1 tsp
    Black pepper corns - 4
    Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
    Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
    Bengal gram - 2 tbsp
    Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
       In a pan dry roast coriander seeds, cumin, black pepper, bengal gram and Red Chiilies one by one and spread them on a plate and let it cool. Boil potatoes (it should be cooked 3/4th, better peel the skin before cooking) and cut them into cubes. In the same pan, add oil and when hot add chopped onions and saute it till it becomes transparent. Add the cubed potatoes and stir for a min. Add the thin coconut milk and cook for 5 mins. Add the ground powder to the potatoes and cook for another 5 mins. Add the thick milk and salt. Bring it to boil and cook for 2 to 3 mins (do not cook more than that). Cut the curry leaves and coriander leaves and sprinkle on top of the curry.

This can be served with hot rice or roti.

Recipe for Kashmiri Dum Aloo on stove top

This is a dish that could be done using both the stove top and also the microwave. While doing this in microwave, the time and the consumption of oil is reduced. A great dish that goes with Chappati and also with North Indian rice varities. If made a little less spicy, the kids will also love it for sure.


Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 18 to 20

Kashmiri Chillies - 5 to 6 nos or 1 tsp of Kashmiri Chilly Powder.
Curd - 2 cups unsour.

Oil to deep fry
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp

Fennel Powder - 2 tbsp



Gingely oil - 1/4 cup (Mustard oil can also be used, if taste and smell can be tolerated)

Clove - 2 nos
Asafodeita - a pinch
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Sat to taste





Method:

Peel and prick the potatoes all over with the help of a fork.
Keep in salted water for fifteen minutes.Heat oil in a kadai and fry the potatoes on medium flame till golden brown. Make a paste of dried kashmiri red chillies. Mix curd with the chilly paste, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and fennel powder. Heat the gingely or mustard oil and one tbspn of ghee in a pan. Add cloves and asafodeita. Add half a cup of water and salt and bring it to boil. Add the yoghurt mixture and bring it to boil again. Add the fried potatoes and cook till the potatoes absorb the gravy and oil flots on top. Serve hot, garnished with freshly roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder.

Recipe for Tandoori Potato/Tandoori Aloo

Ingredients
Baby Potatoes - 1 cup or 12 to 15 nos
Cream - 1 tbsp (optional)
Kasuri Methi - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Red Chillies - 4 nos
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Tandoori Masala - 2 tsp

Method:
Grind red chillies, ginger, coriander-cumin powder and Tandoori Masala powder. Wash potatoes nicely and pierce it with fork. Place the  potatoes on a microwave turn table. Arrange them in circle leaving place for water in the middle. Keep a cup of water in the center to prevent the potatoes from getting wrinkled. Microwave the potatoes in high for 5 minutes.

In a microwave bowl add oil and heat it for about 30 seconds. Add the grind paste and salt to the hot oil and mix thoroughly. Microwave high again for 1 min. Add the potatoes and mix well with the paste and microwave it high for about a min. Add cream and methi leaves and microwave it again for 1 minute.

Serve it as starter or as a side dish for Chappati.