Alu Gobhi (Potato - Cauliflower Dry Subji)

Alu Gobhi is a popular side dish for roti/rice and found in many restaurants. Here's my home-made version of it.

1 cup cubed potatoes (I have used red potatoes & left the skin on in the above pic)
1 cup cauliflower flowerets
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper pwd

Toss the potaotes and cauliflower with the oil, salt and pepper. Broil in oven for 10-12 mins, stirring in between, till slightly browned. The potatoes and cauliflower should be almost cooked by this time.

In the meanwhile, heat 1 to 2 tsp oil in a large wok. Fry 1 tsp cumin seeds. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions and saute till transluscent. Then add 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/2 tsp ginger paste and 1/2 tsp garlic paste. Cook on medium low heat for 5 mins. Add the broiled potatoes and cauliflower at this stage. Add seasonings per taste - salt, sugar, cumin pwd, coriander pwd, garam masala pwd, kitchen king pwd, and crushed kasuri methi. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well to coat the potatoes and cauliflower with the spices. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 5 to 10 mins.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Alu - Methi Subji

This recipe is courtesy of my good friend Sowmya, an excellent home cook and an extremely hospitable person. It can be made with just kasuri methi or fresh methi, I had a bunch of fresh methi on hand, so I used that. Here's how I made it:

1 bag of baby potatoes (contains abt. 20 - 25)

1 bunch fresh methi - only leaves to be used

3 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp coriander pwd

2 tsp cumin pwd

1 to 2 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tbsp kasoori methi - crushed (increase if not using fresh methi leaves)

Salt and sugar to taste

Boil the potatoes in pressure cooker for 1 or 2 whistles, they should be cooked but remain firm. When cool, peel and keep aside. If potatoes are not baby-sized, you can chop them too.

Heat the oil in a large wok, add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they stop spluttering add the chopped onions and fry till softened. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry another few mins. Then add the methi leaves, cover and cook on medium low heat for 10 mins. You can use a few tbsp water to avoid burning. Then add the kasoori methi, turmeric ,coriander pwd, cumin pwd and red chilli powder. After 5 mins add the boiled and peeled baby potatoes and salt and sugar to taste. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 mins, stirring in between to make sure all potatoes are well coated with the methi-onion-spice mix. Add few drops of oil as they are cooking and let some of the potatoes get slightly golden-brown to give a nice crunch.

Serve warm with rotis or rice.

Batatyachya Kachrya (Potato Stir Fry)

This is a simple and quick side dish for rotis that is loved by all - old and young.

Here's how I make it:

2 red/yellow potatoes - thinly sliced
For tempering - oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafotida, turmeric
Other seasonings per taste - salt and red chilli pwd.

I leave the skin on the potatoes for this dish since I use the thin skin variety. You can peel the skin if you prefer or if using thick skin potatoes. Important thing is to slice them thinly so they cook fast. You can soak the sliced potatoes in water if you plan to cook them after a while. This prevents them from turning brown. In such case, remember to drain water off completely before cooking.

Make the tempering by heating the oil, adding the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add the rest of the tempering ingredients. Add the potatoes. Stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt and red chilli pwd. Mix again and cook till done for another 5 to 10 minutes. If cooking in a non-stick pot, you can use less oil for this dish. But I like to make it in my old kadai, using abt 4-5 tsp oil, this gives a nice "kharpus" (slightly charred brown bits) where some of the potato bits stick to the kadai.

Enjoy with rotis/phulkas/ghadichi poli.

This Batatyachya Kachrya go to the Complete My Thali - Dry Subji event at Seduce Your Tastebuds. This event was started by Jagruti.

Vangi - Batatyachi Bhaji

This is a simple and tasty vegetable side dish for rotis. Here's how I make it:

2 cups eggplant - cubed

2 small red potatoes - cubed (I keep the skin on, you can peel if preferred)

1 small onion - chopped

1 tomato - chopped

For tempering - 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp asafotida, 1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

Other spices - 1 tsp coriander pwd, 1 tsp cumin pwd, 1 tsp Goda Masala, 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tbsp jaggery/gul

1/4 tsp tamarind paste

salt to taste

First make the tempering by heating the oil, then dropping the mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add the cumin seeds, asafotida and turmeric pwd.

Then add the onions and saute till softened. Add the potatoes and saute a couple minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook about 5 - 7 mins till potatoes are semi-cooked. Add the eggplant and another 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook another 5 mins on medium heat. Add the tomatoes, other spice pwds given above, salt and jaggery. You can also add a handful of frozen peas at this stage if desired. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup water to get desired consistency, cover and cook 5 mins till all the veggies are well cooked, but not mushy. Add the tamarind paste, stir well to well. Simmer couple of mins and take off heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

Serve with rotis/polis/phulkas.

Dum Aloo

One of our friends recently gave us a bag of baby potatoes before leaving for their India visit. Seeing those cute tiny potatoes, I just had to make Dum Aloo.

Here's how I made it:

1 lb baby potaotes - There were about 30 in our Trader Joes 1 lb bag

Oil for frying

For the gravy -

1 onion - chopped

3 tomatoes - chopped

1 tsp ginger - garlic paste

handful of cashewnuts

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tsp fennel seeds - powdered

1 tsp soonth (Ginger powder)

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp kitchen king masala

Cilantro to garnish

1. Pressure cook the potatoes with 2 cups water for 1 whistle. Immediately take off heat and cool under running tap water.

2. Peel the potatoes. Prick each with a thin toothpick in several spots. Deep fry the potatoes till golden. Season with a little salt & pepper.

3. For the gravy - Heat 2 tbsp oil. Fry the onions till soft. Add the ginger - garlic paste and fry 2 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes. Fry for 7 - 8 mins. Take off heat. Cool slightly and grind with the cashewnuts. Put it back in the pressure pan or kadhai. Heat gently. Add all the dry spice powders. Beat the yogurt to smooth and add that. Add salt to taste and the fried potatoes. Add water to get desired consistency. Boil on gentle heat for 10 - 15 mins. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

We enjoyed these with homemade, whole wheat naans from Monsoon Spice.