Tag Archives: potato

Vietnamese Potato and Green Bean Curry

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vietnamese potato green bean curry There is a little Vietnamese place near where I live called Lela’s Bistro. It is the coziest little space with the most amazing food. (But then I live in Portland, and there is cozy and tasty all around me!) Anyways, Lela’s bistro is special. I love their wood paneled interior, and their delicious vegetarian vietnamese curry. I often go to Lela’s, pick a cozy nook, and tuck into a big, steaming bowl of their aromatic curry. I’ve tried to recreate this Vietnamese vegetarian curry at home, using Vietnamese curry powder, potatoes and green beans. Feel free to change the vegetables and use broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato etc. Some fried tofu will also be very nice in this curry.
vietnamese potato green bean curry

lemon grass, vietnamese curry powder, potato, green beans for curryThis curry is very easy to make. The curry powder and the lemongrass do the work for you, really. They make the curry wonderfully aromatic and tasty. A lot of Vietnamese curries have finely minced lemongrass in them. Sometimes lemongrass can be fibrous, so I prefer to leave it whole in the curry, and then fish it out before serving. Just make sure you give the lemongrass stalk a good smash, to break it open and release all its flavors.
vietnamese curry powder Vietnamese curry powder is easily available at Asian markets. Fubonn, the Asian store I frequent, has several brands of Vietnamese curry powder, and I’m spoiled for choice! Pick a Vietnamese “Madras” curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do) and you can’t go wrong.

You can also order Vietnamese curry powder online.
vietnamese potato green bean curry

Vietnamese Potato and Green Bean Curry

Serves about 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lemon grass stalk
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Vietnamese curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do or Madras Curry Powder). Available at Asian markets or online.
12 oz yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 oz green beans (about 1 heaping cup when chopped). Substitute with 1 heaping cup of broccoli florets
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook on medium heat till slightly browned. While the onion is cooking, prepare the lemongrass – slice off the top and bottom of the lemongrass stalk, cut it into 2 pieces, and using a mallet, smash the two lemongrass sticks in order to release flavor. Set aside.
2. When the onion is golden brown, add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Add the smashed lemongrass and curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Throw in the chopped potatoes, salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer covered till the potatoes are cooked but still holding their shape.
5. Now add the beans or broccoli, coconut milk and sugar. Cook on medium heat till the beans/broccoli are tender. If the curry is too thick, add up to 1 cup water.
7. Fish out and discard the lemongrass pieces before serving.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice, noodles or baguette.

Potato Kurma with Fried Onion. Remembering my grandmother through her favorite recipes.

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To commemorate my paternal grandmother’s first year death anniversary, I am posting a series of my grandmothers favorite recipes. This potato kurma recipe is second in the series. Read my first post in the series here.

My grandmother with my father

My grandmother with me

Of everyone in our family, I think I spent the most time with with my grandmother. She raised me, I shared a room with her, and went with her every where. I was always by her side. And I learnt a lot from this amazing woman just from tagging along. “Don’t depend on anyone. You must learn to do things yourself”, she’d say again and again. Every time I traveled with her, which was a lot, she would teach me again and again how to be independent. Through her, I experienced the joy that comes from not depending. As early as 10 years old, she’d make me check in at airports. There I’d be, not even reaching the counter, checking in for the two of us. It made my 10 year old self feel empowered and confident.

My grandmother also often said it was important to learn to cook and I think its one of there reasons I took an interest in cooking early one. (Ironically, she never cooked herself!). She relished this potato kuruma, often having her cook make it for dinner with fresh chappatis. This kurma, made with coconut milk and topped with fried onions, is rich and comforting. And the home made masala which is the flavor base of this kuruma is well worth the effort.

Take care not to overly brown the chills and the spices in the masala. If you over toast the spices, the kuruma will taste bitter. The trick is to stir constantly so the spices toast evenly. Remove the spices from the heat as soon as they smell fragrant.

Potato Kurma with Fried Onion Recipe

serves about 4

Ingredients
For the Masala
1 teaspoon oil
6-8 dried red chilis
2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon uncooked rice, optional

For the Kuruma
1lb yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
6 curry leaves
Salt
1 cup coconut milk

For the topping
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions or shallots
1 dried chile
6 curry leaves

Method
1. First make the masala. Heat oil in a small skillet, and add chilis. Cook them on medium heat just till they turn color, about 45 seconds. The chills should still be fairly red in color, not black. Remove the chiles and place on a plate.
2. To the same pan, add the remaining masala ingredients. (No need to add extra oil). Fry till they are fragrant and lightly browned, about 45 seconds.
3.Using a spice grinder, grind the chiles and spices using a little water, into a thick paste. Set aside.
4. Now make the kuruma. Peel and cube the potatoes. You should have approximately 5 handfuls of cubed potatoes.
5. In a large wok or saucepan, heat the oil and add onions and curry leaves. Cook on medium heat till the onion is soft, about 1 minute.
6. Add the potato cubes and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.
7. And the ground masala paste and salt. Stir well.
8. Add enough water to cover the potatoes (about 2 cups). Bring to a boil. Then cover the wok with a lid, and let the potatoes cook on a lively simmer till the potatoes are soft but still holding their shape. Then remove the lid, and continue cooking till most the water is absorbed.
10. Now pour in coconut milk. Stir and turn off heat.
11. While the potatoes are cooking, work in the topping – heat oil in a small saucepan, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add all remaining topping ingredients and sauté on medium heat till the onions are browned.
12. Top kurma with the fried onion topping. Serve kuruma with rotis or naan.

Butter Roasted Masala Potatoes – My Guest Post for Indian Simmer

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Baby potatoes + butter + curry powder = YUM, right?! Heres whats even better – this recipe is my guest post for the incredibly talented Prerna of Indian Simmer blog! Go over to her blog to see my recipe for these butter roasted masala potatoes. And make sure you hang around there and check out her mouth watering Indian recipes and gorgeous photography.

Prerna is a good friend, and I can tell you from first hand experience that her food is drool worthy! I still think of the rajma and paneer she fed me several months ago! For even more delicousness from Prerna, check out her brand new book, The Everything Indian Slow Cooker Cookbook

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

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..a guest post by Radhika of Food for 7 Stages

I have been reading Radhika’s mouth watering blog,  Food for 7 stages right since its inception. I am excited to invite her to guest blog today, because her recipe for aloo gobi (Indian potato and cauliflower curry) tart is ingenious. We usually eat al00 gobi with rotis, but radhika puts this classic curry on a puff pastry shell to make it a spicy, decadent meal.

And make sure you read my travel posts, about my vegetarian road trip across america part1 and part2

You need inspiration and then some motivation to pursue a task. When it comes to blogging I draw the inspiration from bloggers like Sala of Veggie Belly. Her eye candy pics, storytelling and her love for traveling makes me feel connected with her though I don’t know her personally. But that is what a good blog and good blogger do to you.

When I came to know that Sala was looking for bloggers to guest post whilst she was traveling across the country, I immediately wrote to her. And she graciously accepted my request to guest post in her beautiful blog. Though it is hard to express my gratitude through words, I thank Sala wholeheartedly for giving me this opportunity to write this guest post in Veggie Belly. 

The tree in front of my home warned us well ahead of time about the changing season. Though I am happy to see those bright orange leaves am not really prepared to face the  aftermath. The thought of unpacking the long forgotten boxes filled with our jackets and winter clothes makes me nervous. I couldn’t believe that one brutal winter can change my love for this season. However, I have to accept the fact and move forward. Before the temperature drops further I have to move all my plants indoor, paint our deck and rearrange my home. Sigh. 

As there is always a blessing in disguise, it is the right time to turn on my oven and get started with baking again. The nip in the air made me crave for something hot yet spicy and I got reminded of the gluten free fusion tart I baked few months ago. Though I was not very happy with the tart crust as the sweetness of almond meal was overpowering the better half seemed to like it. And Aloo Gobhi tart it is. This time I wanted to whip up something real quick and I didn’t have patience to make the tart crust from the scratch. Ding… The idea of using puff pastry popped in my mind and viola I had a delicious savory tart to share it with you all. Flaky buttery crust forms a perfect base for this spiced Aloo Gobhi Masala and I would never think of using another crust recipe. Yumm.

There are very few vegetables that marry well with each other. Cauliflower (Gobi) and Potatoes (Aloo) are the right candidates for this perfect marriage. When these two vegetables are blended together with the right spices they create wonders and Aloo Gobhi is one such popular dish from India. The very thought of combining this popular curry with flaky puff pastry makes me weak at the knees. If you are a savory lover like me, go ahead and make this Aloo Gobi tart. I am sure you will enjoy this fusion savory tart as much as my family did. 

Aloo Gobi Tart Recipe

serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 cup Cauliflower florets
2 Potatoes (medium size)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
1/4 cup finely chopped Tomato
3 teaspoon Canola Oil (or any cooking oil)
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 Cardamon pods
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder or red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garam masala
2 teaspoon Yogurt
2 cup + 4 teaspoon Water
Salt to taste
1 Puff Pastry Sheet (preferably Pepperidge farm), substitute with home made or store bought pie crust
1/4 tablespoon Butter (Optional)
2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasuri Methi (Optional)

Method
 Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking tray with wax/parchment paper or foil. Brush it with butter/oil. Place 1 frozen puff pastry sheet on it and allow it to thaw.

Wash cauliflower florets. In a sauce pan, add 2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt. Bring it to boil. Turn off and add the cauliflower florets. Let it stand for couple of minutes. This step will cleanse the cauliflower.

In another sauce pan, boil Potatoes until it is 95% cooked (fork tender). I prefer to steam the potatoes. I cut them into equal size chunks and put it in my steamer for 5-6 minutes.

In a wok/kadai, add oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds and allow it to sizzle. Add cardamon, finely chopped ginger. Add onion. Saute until it turns translucent, for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Then add tomato, 1/2 tsp salt and saute for another 3 minutes or until it becomes mushy. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, saute. Add 2-4 tsp water to prevent it from sticking.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and saute. Add 2 tsp yogurt, potato and cauliflower. Mix well. Adjust salt as per taste.

Then add garam masala, mix and close the kadai with a lid and let it simmer for couple of minutes. This will allow the flavors to marry well. Do not forget to stir in between to avoid sticking to the pan.

Open the lid, if there is any liquid left cook for couple of minutes until the water evaporates. Turn off and allow it to cool.

Place the baking tray in oven and bake the puff pastry sheet for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 F.

Spread the Aloo Gobhi Masala on the tart. Add few swirls of butter and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve it hot.

Dahi ke Aloo (Potato and Yogurt Soup) from Prerna of Indian Simmer

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I dont know many other people who are as passionate about Indian cooking as Prerna is. Today, I am delighted to introduce her to you, via her guest post and this delicious recipe for dahi ke aloo (potato and yogurt soup). Her gorgeous blog, Indian Simmer is full of mouthwatering recipes and some of the best photography I’ve seen in the blogosphere. Take it away Prerna..

Like countless others I have always drooled over Sala’s flawless photography and her fabulous recipes. They always make you come back and look for some more, don’t they? So doing a guest post for her and cooking something for her readers was truly an honor. Thanks so much Sala for letting me do this!

I am here today with something very simple and as my husband says something very carby. Ok, raise your hands if you don’t like potatoes … everyone loves potatoes! At least I do, or maybe I like it a little more than I should but I don’t regret it. As a child I was the pickiest eater and potato was the only vegetable I could eat (does that count as a true vegetable?). But now that I am past that phase, potatoes still remain a favorite because you can do so much with them. Especially in Indian cooking when you can make something as royal as a Mughlai Aloo Dum or a simple stir fry, potatoes will always shine. The recipe I am sharing today is one such recipe.

Dahi  is hindi for yogurt and Aloo means potatoes. When potatoes are cooked in tangy and creamy yogurt with some few simple spices they become Dahi Ke Aloo. I call it potato and yogurt soup. My mom serves it with hot and crisp fresh out of the griddle rotis, I serve them with some fresh baguettes. Whatever you call them or whichever way you serve them they still remain classic comfort food and an easy quick fix dish.

Dahi Ke Aloo or Potato & Yogurt Soup Recipe

serves about 4

Ingredients
4 medium size potatoes (boiled, peeled)
2 cups yogurt (room temperature)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra to drizzle on top of your soup)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (a little extra if you want to garnish)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
Salt to taste

Method
Mash the potatoes. Thoroughly mash one and mash the others to bite size pieces. Set aside.

In a bowl whisk together yogurt and water leaving no lumps.

Heat oil in a medium size pot. Add cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add turmeric and coriander powder. Mix the spices together and add potatoes immediately. Mix spices well with the potatoes.

Stir in the thinned yogurt. Mix it well together with the potatoes. Wait till the soup comes to a nice rolling boil and then add salt.

You can serve it hot. I like mine lukewarm with some extra virgin olive oil drizzled and some red pepper flakes sprinkled on top.

Indian Spiced Potato Chip Sticks. Baked, not Fried!

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I love how simple this oven/microwave baked potato chips recipe is. All you do is cut a russet potato into think sticks, toss it in oil, salt, cayenne or chilli powder, and turmeric. Add a fer curry leaves for aroma. Bake or microwave. Yes, I said microwave! So much easier and healthier than deep fried potato chips!

You could spice up the potato chip sticks in many ways; I love the turmeric, chilli powder or cayenne powder, curry leaf combination. The curry leaves get crispy and so fragrant. 

Serve Indian spiced potato chips as a side or a snack, in a newspaper cone. They go well with my brown rice and black bean  burgers.

Cut the potato sticks really thin, this way they bake very quickly in the oven. Use either a mandoline or a large sharp chef’s knife to cut the potatoes into 1/8th inch slices. Stack up the slices and cut them into thin sticks. The sticks should be thinner than a pen or french fry.

More oven baked or microwaved potato chip recipes
Martha Stewart’s baked potato chips recipe
Oven fried potato chips recipe  on Simply Recipes
Spicy baked potato chips recipe on Chow vegan
5-spice potato chips recipe on the Hungry Mouse
Uncle Bill’s microwave potato chip recipe  on Food.com
Microwave potato chips recipe  on Eating well
Homemade microwave potato chips recipe  on Sweet Savory Life

Indian Spiced Baked Potato Chip Sticks Recipe

serves about 2

1 large russet potato (about 10 oz)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon or to taste chili powder pr cayenne powder
10 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash and dry the potato. Peel the potato if you like. I leave the skin on because I like the texture of potato skin in my chips.

Slice the potato into 1/8th inch thick slices lengthwise using a mandoline or a large, sharp knife. Stack up the slices, and cut them lengthwise to form thin sticks, about 1/4th the thickness of a French fry.

Place the potato sticks on a kitchen towel, and gently pat dry.

In a bowl, whisk together the ghee or melted butter or oil, turmeric, chili powder, curry leaves and salt. Add the potato sticks to the bowl and toss well. Now follow one of the below methods.

Oven method – pre-heat oven to 400f. Place the seasoned potato sticks on a non-stick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone non-stick mat. Spread the potato sticks so that they are in a single layer and don’t overlap. You may need to do this in batches. Make sure they are in a single layer, this is what makes them crisp! Bake for 10 minutes or till the chips are golden and crisp. Halfway through baking, check on the chips, and remove any pieces that are already crispy and golden. Rotate the baking sheet and continue baking.

Microwave method – take a microwaveable plate and coat with a few drops of oil. Place the potato chips that have been coated in the turmeric chili ghee/oil. Spead them out into a single layer. You may need to do this in batches. Microwave on high for 2-4 minutes or until the chips are golden and crisp. Cooking time will vary depending on the microwave, so check on the chips periodically.

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Are you a fan of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor?

Join me at his book signing event in Washington DC!

Tickets and details are here – http://sanjeevkapoor-indiqueheights.eventbrite.com/

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Easy Potato Curry (Dry)

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The secret to this easy, vegan potato curry is Baba’s curry powder. Its a Malaysian made curry powder, and you can buy it online or possibly at a Asian/Malaysian foods store. My pantry is never without Baba’s meat curry powder and Baba’s fish curry powder.

Photo from www.babas.com.my

I highly recommend Baba’s curry powders. Although they are meant for meat, the curry powders themselves contain no meat and they are fantastic to add to vegetables, curries and lentil dishes.

Baba’s meat curry powder Ive used in this recipe contains coriander, fennel, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves.

 

Substitute Babas curry powder with sambar powder or any yellow curry powder. How much you will need to use depends on the brand and how spicy it is.

 

Notes:

- When chopping potatoes, keep them in a bowl of water to prevent them from discoloring

- If the curry gets too dry while cooking, sprinkle a little water

- Potatoes will cook sooner if you cut them into smaller cubes

Easy, Vegan Potato Curry or Potato Masala or Potato Poriyal Recipe

serves about 2

1 large potato (about 1 1/2 cups when cut into small cubes)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/8th teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/8th teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal (black gram)
a pinch of asafoetida
1 dried red chilli, or according to taste
a few curry leaves, optional
1-2 teaspoons Baba’s meat curry powder or sambar powder or any yellow curry powder (how much curry powder you’ll need depends on the brand you use)
salt

Peel and cut the potato into small cubes. Heat a non stick wok with the oil and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add urad dal, asafoetida, red chili and curry leaves. Cook about 20 seconds or till fragrant. Add the cubed potatoes, curry powder, 2 tablespoons water and salt. Cook on medium heat till the potatoes are cooked, about 6 minutes.

Omelette Rollups or Roulade with Smoky Fried Potatoes, Cream Cheese and Watercress

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Here’s a recipe inspired by the Spanish frittata — I kept the potato which is traditionally used in a frittata, but I take it in a totally different direction. This roulade or roll up is a stuffed omelette with smoked paprika, fried potatoes, peppers and water cress. You can make this the previous day of a party and just cut it up and serve the day of. This is a great make ahead appetizer for entertaining!

Use any vegetables or cheeses you like. I enjoy the peppery bite of watercress with the creamy cheese. The orange bell pepper adds color, and the fried potatoes make these omelette pinwheels fun and filling.

(almost) Step-by-step instructions for omelette rollups

- Place cooked omelette on a large pice of cling film. Cling film must be about twice as long and wide as the omelette
- Let omelette cool completely
- Once cool, gently spread cream cheese over the omelette. Dont spread cream cheese all the way to the edges of the omelette. Leave a little space for the filling ooze out when rolling

- Place a single layer of watercress leaves over the cream cheese
- Then arrange julienned peppers and fried potato sticks alternatingly. Place them horizontally. They should be in a single layer.
- Pick up the end of the omelette thats closest to you and begin rolling

- Roll gently, but tightly. Take care not to tear the omelette. You will now have an omelette ‘sausage’
- Now pick up the cling film that the omelette is on, and roll the omelette ‘sausage’ to make a package. Make sure you wrap and roll the cling film tightly over the omelette ‘sausage’
- Twist the ends of the package

- Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This will make the roulade easier to cut
- After 30 minutes, take out the package from the fridge. Carefully remove cling film.
- Place 6-8 tooth picks at regular intervals on the omelette roll.
- Using a sharp knife, cut inbetween each tooth pick, to get spiral shaped omelette pinwheels
- Serve at room temperature 

How I took the ‘inside the fridge’ photo above

I cleared out a section of the fridge and placed my camera inside the fridge, facing out. You need a remote trigger for your camera and a reasonably wide angle lens to do this (focal length for this was 34mm).

It took a few test shots and changing the setting to get the exposure right. Then its easy, I just opened the fridge, and clicked the remote as I was placing the roll up inside the fridge.

If you dont have a remote for your camera, set your camera on the self timer.

You can do this from inside the oven too (make sure the oven is not on!). 

Notes & Tips

- Omelette must be completely cool before rolling
- Cream cheese must be at room temperature, this will make it easier to spread
- Dont over cook the omelette. Cooking on high heat or for too long will make your omelette dry and you will risk tearing it while rolling
- Make sure the omelette is not too thick, or it will be difficult to roll. A 12 inch diamater pan is perfect for a 6 egg omelette
- If you find cooking and flipping over a 6 egg omelette is difficult, make 2 roulades instead. Use a 6 inch pan and make two 3 egg omelettes. This way, they will be easier to handle and flip over, compared to a large single omelette

Omelette Rollups or Roulade with Smoky Fried Potatoes, Cream Cheese, Bell Pepper and Watercress Recipe

serves about 3-4 as an appetizer

For the omelette
6 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon of smoked paprika (substitute with chilli powder, regular paprika or cayenne)
salt
non-stick spray or olive oil

For the smoky potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small potato
a pinch of smoked paprika, use more if you like it spicy
salt

Other ingredients
6 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 green or red or orange pepper, julienned
1/2 cup watercress leaves loosely packed

Make the omelette: Whisk the eggs, smoked paprika and salt. Heat a 12 inch diameter nonstick skillet and spray with non-stick spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook on medium heat till the underside of the omelette is slightly golden. Carefully flip the omelette over and cook the other side till done. Using a large spatula, trasfer the omelette to a large sheet of cling film. Let omelette cool completely.

Make the potatoes: While omelette is cooling, make the smoky potatoes.  Scrub the potato clean. Leave skin on. Cut the potato into batons. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the potato sticks in a single layer. Fry the potatoes till golden. Remove cooked potatoes onto a paper towel and sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt.

Make the rollup: When the omelette is completely cool. Spread the cream cheese over the omelette. Then arrange the water cress leaves in a single layer. Place the pepper juliennes and smoky potato sticks over the watercress layer. Make sure the peppers and potato only form a single layer. Gently roll omlette. Wrap the omlette roll in cling film, gently but firmly. Place the package in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then cut into pinwheel pieces.

For detailed step-by-step instructions and photos see post above.

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