Potato/aloo - fry

 

Potato fry is an easy-to-make, savoury and delicious dish of sautéed potatoes, known as aloo in Hindi. This is a North Indian style recipe of potatoes sautéed with bold, fragrant spices. It is also vegan and made without onion and garlic. Also known as aloo fry, this dish makes for an excellent side dish with any North Indian main course meal.

 

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes – cut in 2 cm cubes

2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 pinch of asafoetida (hing) (leave out for GF)

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp amchur – dry mango powder

salt to taste

Method: 

• Peel and chop the potatoes in 2 cm/1 in cubes, as evenly as possible.
• Heat a heavy, thick-bottomed pan or frying pan. Add 2 tablespoons oil. For a slightly pungent taste, try mustard oil.    If using mustard oil, then heat till the mustard oil starts smoking.
• Now add the potatoes to the oil.
• Mix them very well with the oil and spread them evenly in the pan. 
• Keep on stirring after a few minutes and sauté them on a low to medium-low flame until the potatoes are half cooked. 
• Then add turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander, cumin, a pinch of asafoetida and salt to taste. 
• Mix the spices in very well with the potatoes. 
• Spread the cubes evenly in the pan. Continue to stir often and cook till the potatoes are tender, softened and slightly crispy. At each stir, change the position of potatoes so that they get crisp on all sides. 
• Finally, add garam masala and amchur powder. (Instead of dry mango powder, you could add lemon juice for some brightness and tang.)Mix very well again and serve.

This fry is delicious on its own (in which case there is only one serving), but for better nutrition, eat it with a dal or curry.    One recipe I’ve seen suggests putting it between bread – a whole new spin on chip butties!!

 

Variation:

• Substitute kumara/sweet potato for the aloo.

 

 

You will find many more recipes like this here and here and here

Sweet potato/kumara and red pepper soup

 

This is a pretty soup, with a West Indian feel to it.  I prefer to make it with orange or yellow sweet potato or kumara.

Use 1/3 seawater to 2/3 fresh, if the sea is clean, and leave out the salt.

 

Serves 2 for a main course, 4 for a starter 

 

Ingredients 

 

2 red peppers

 2 large or 1 very large sweet potato/kumara

1 onion

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 litre water

2 tbsp cream of coconut

salt and pepper

lime or lemon juice

Method:

• Heat the peppers over a flame until the skins bubble and then peel them.
• Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, dice the onion. (I don't usually peel kumara.)
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and cook the kumara and onion over a medium heat, for about 10 minutes.
• Chop the pepper and add them to the other vegetables along with the thyme and cumin; mix well.
• Add the water, bring to the boil and pressure cook for 10 minutes. When the pressure has reduced, mash with a potato masher or stick blender, until the vegetables are reduced to a purée.  Leave it chunkier, if you prefer.
• Return to the heat and stir in the cream of coconut. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add lime or lemon juice.

 Variations:

• Add some chilli if you want a spicier soup.
• Add coconut milk if you don't have any cream of coconut.  If you are going to blend the soup, you could even add dried coconut.
• Use salted lime or lemon, instead of the juice, but go easy on the salt.