Alu Qorma - Miss Mommy's Touch!!

Baby Potatoes Korma:

Other Names: Urulaikizhangu Kurma. Aloo Korma.

My Mom's style of cooking is pretty good, but with quite standard predictable kind of menu. As my Dad doesn't like surprises at the dinner table, she never attempted anything adventurous in the kitchen! Though my Mom handed down a bunch of authentic specialty recipes to me,I rarely took a look at it!!! As I traveled a lot, got introduced to newer dishes, tasting different foods became a hobby and whenever I chanced upon locally available ingredients, I never failed to experiment. Yes, my cooking has definitely become more varied over time! However, now looking back...I just crave for Mommy's preparations! I am the one, who said "can't you try anything different Mommy"!! All my relatives and friends swear that my Mom's Korma is the best in the world. They are absolutely right, she makes some incredible korma...just like that?!:)

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes 7-10
Fresh coconut milk 1 cup
Poppy seeds paste 1 teaspoon
Green chilies 3 slitted
Onion 1 small - grated
Onion 1 small sliced
Ginger-garlic paste 1 teaspoon
Tomato 1 crushed
Tomato 1 chopped
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Cinnamon 1 stick
Cloves 3
Fennel seeds 2 teaspoons
Cardamom 1 crushed
Bay leaf 1
Curry leaves few
Mint leaves few
Cilantro leaves few
Ghee / butter 1 table spoon.

Method:

Scrape the potatoes and prick with fork on all the sides and allow this to stand in cold water, to avoid discoloration.

In a wide crock pot, heat ghee. Add the tempering spices. Followed by chilies, onions sliced + grated and ginger-garlic paste. Fry real good until fragrant.

Now add tomatoes too, fry real good until it turns pulpy.

Further add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Followed by potatoes, add 2 cups of water. Cover and cook over low-medium heat. Once the potatoes are half the way done, add poppy seeds paste and coconut milk. Boil without lid until oil separates and potatoes turn tender.

Serve to go with pilaf or soft rotis.

Dum Aloo / Baby Potatoes Curry - Truly a Revival

Dhum Alu:

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes 7-10
Onion 1 large grated
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomatoes 2 crushed
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Mango powder /amchur 1 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Coconut milk 1/2 cup (I used frozen, grated coconut)
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Peel the skin and leave the potatoes in cold water, until cooking.

Heat oil in a skillet, add grated onion, ginger-garlic paste...fry real good, till fragrant.

Then add tomato paste, salt and all the powdered spices. Further add potatoes too, add two cups of water.

Cover and cook till tender. Once the potato is done and oil shows up on top, remove from heat.

Serve warm to go with pulkah, roti or chappathi.

Alu Do Pyaz / Potatoes n Onions Stir-fry - Old Fashioned Way:)

Urulai Kizhangu Varuval:

You know what? People ask me, why I keep cooking the basic recipes and more traditional ones on and on. I agree, as more and more fashion hits the kitchen, food fad as become a culture. Where, when we don't buff our knowledge about latest trends' they consider us, sluggish!! And food snobbery is not new!!! Well, I kind of like to be lagging behind the crowd and would love to enjoy the fun of classic cuisine for a while. As I have been deprived of good home cooking, most of life (I spent awful lot of my life in various hostels).

Sometimes, I feel its so ridiculous to decorate my plate with wild flowers, carve a tower out of food, spend time working on the garnishes and bringing the elegance. However, occasional fine-dinning wouldn't hurt. But, its always been easy to fix 20 minutes meals (yes, I am bit fast), simple fuzz-free...day after day, week after week! At least home-cooking concentrates on taste, rather than appearance...nourishes than make it yet-another-experience!!

Although I don't posses any great cook books on my own, but most of my recipes are in my gray cells, I remember every damn good detail...and recalling comforting recipes that Mommy whipped, back home is after all too easy:) So, when I do try new things occasionally, I generally stick to what I know. The thing I really love about old fashioned cooking is that it often uses food that might be actually wasted, or foods that still sit on the pantry shelf calmly. Yes, this recipe is a recycled one too...used up all the long lying vegetables.

Ingredients:

Potatoes 1/4 kilo
Onions large 2 - sliced
Coriander seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 1/2 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Boil sliced potatoes, briefly...retain the skin or peel off, as per your wish.

Heat oil in a wok, add the whole spices followed by onions, saute them

Add the pototoes, and powdered spices...cover and cook for few minutes, remove lid and stir-fry over high heat...until fragrant.

Serve to go with chappathis or rotis.

Bharwa Mirchi / Baked Stuffed Peppers - The Healthy Baking:)

Stuffed Bajji Milagai:

Ingredients:

Banana Peppers 4
Olive oil to spray

Filling

Potato 2-3
Salt
Cumin seeds 2 spoons
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Cumin powder 1 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Green chili 2-3 finely chopped
Onions finely chopped 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomato 1 small chopped
Coriander leaves 1 cup finely chopped
Oil few spoons.

Masala preparation:

Bake potato in a microwave for 3-4 minutes and peel its skin. Or simply boil potato in water for 20 minutes and peel its skin.

Heat oil/ghee and add cumin seeds and fry till golden brown.

Then add green chilies, onions and ginger -garlic paste. Fry them till fragrant. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chili, coriander, garam masala and cumin seeds powder. Toss the potatoes too, mash them using your spatula.

Now, scoop away the seeds from your peppers, fill them up with potato masala. Spray oil on the top and grease your oven-safe pan as well.

Preheat oven over 425 F, and bake them for 20-30 minutes approximately.

Serve steaming hot to go with your roti, chappathi or pulkahs. Enjoy:)

Pyaz Ka Paratha / Onions Filled Chappathi

Pyaz Ka Paratha:

Onions Stuffed in Indian Flat Bread. Vengaya Chapathi. Ulli Roti.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour 1 bowl
Salt
Cooking soda 1/4 spoon
Warm water 1 cup
Ghee/clear butter

Dough preparation:

In a wide bowl, bring wheat flour. Add salt and soda. Further add warm water and knead this to smooth dough. Add ghee as a finishing touch.

Ingredients:

Purple/Red Onions large 2 finely chopped
Mashed potatoes 1 small cup(for texture)
Salt
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Cumin powder 1/4 spoon
Green chili 2-3 finely chopped
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Coriander leaves 1 cup finely chopped
Dry wheat flour and ghee for making parathas.

Masala preparation:

Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds.

Add green chilies, onions and ginger -garlic paste. Fry till fragrant. Add salt, garam masala and cumin seeds powders.

Now add mashed potatoes to the above masala, continue cooking...maybe till fragrant.

Paratha Preparation:

Divide the dough into equal parts. Roll them into thin flat breads. Place a table spoon of filling, place an other chappathi over it...seal the edges. Repeat the same for the remaining dough.

Now toss them onto heated griddle, smear oil and cook both the sides.

Serve hot with spicy gravy or subzi.

Samosa - A Perfect Bite:)

Alu Samosa:

Potatoes Filled Hot Pockets. Garam Garam Aloo Samosas.

There were days, when I used to say 'I hate Fried food'! People go wide eyes 'Oh really'. Well, then they hardly knew me! It is always like that 'Sour Grapes' story!!! The fact is that I can never resist a perfect fried snack! I admit that, once in a while I treat myself with some home-made junk food! And now...don't ask me' how is that even 'good'. I am an adherent follower of Michael Pollan's guide lines. So, I just follow the old-world life style...prepare anything from scratch! Result? First of all, at the end of the day, you will realize 'how much time it takes to bring a product for consumption'(definitely you will be tired to go cook the same again); secondly...you will have control over your ingredients (one can actually take deep-frying to pan-frying; switch to olive oil, prepare a dough with whole wheat, change the filling with something rich in fiber); it is worth toiling in the kitchen than to wind up lying on the couch watching boring movies or playing solitaire; and finally, I like the idea of keeping the authentic recipe intact(without trying anything extreme) but have a control over my portions.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour 1 bowl
Salt
Cooking soda 1/4 spoon
Warm water 1 cup
Ghee/clear butter

Dough preparation:

In a large bowl add flour. Add salt, soda and warm water. Knead them into soft dough. Add ghee for as finishing touch.

Filling

Potato 2-3
Salt
Cumin seeds 2 spoons
Garam masala powder 1/4 spoon
Cumin powder 1 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Coriander powder 1 spoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Green chili 2-3 finely chopped
Onions finely chopped 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Coriander leaves 1 cup finely chopped
Dry flour for dusting
Oil for deep frying.

Masala preparation:

Bake potato in a microwave for 3-4 minutes and peel its skin. Or simply boil potato in water for 20 minutes and peel its skin.

Heat oil/ghee and add cumin seeds and fry till golden brown.

Then add green chilies, onions and ginger -garlic paste. Fry them till fragrant. Add salt, turmeric, chili, coriander, garam masala and cumin seeds powder. Toss the potatoes too, mash them using your spatula.

Samosa Preparation:

Divide the dough into equal parts, roll them into thin flat breads, cut them into strips. Place the filling and fold into triangles.

Well, heat oil in a pan, deep fry the same.

Serve warm as a snack.

Special Masal Dosai - Extra Spicy / Restaurant Style

Special Masal Dosa - Super Hot:(South Indian Style)

I happen to taste this Extra-spicy version Masala Dosai from the City of Temples, Madurai.

Masal Dosai:

Ingredients:

Parboiled rice 1 cup
Raw rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
Salt
Soda
Sesame oil 1-2 spoons
Sesame oil for making dosa.

For Topping:

Onion 1 large finely chopped
Green chilies 6 finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste
Potatoes 2 large skinned, boiled & mashed
Tomato 1 small chopped/crushed
Mint leaves few
Curry leaves few
Cilantro leaves few
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1-2 spoons
Mustard seeds
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Mix all the above mentioned ingredients except(for dosa) salt, soda and oil. Soak them in water for about 5 hours.

Wet grind them to thin paste. Now add salt, soda dissolved in water and sesame oil.

Allow this to ferment, maybe 7 hours.

Once the fermentation part is over, the dosa batter is ready.

For Topping:

In a wide pan, heat oil. Crackle mustard seeds. Then and add chilies, curry leaves, onions, ginger-garlic paste. Wait till the raw odor is gone. Then add tomatoes, salt, turmeric and chili powders. Wait till fragrant.

Further add mashed potatoes, mint and cilantro leaves. Remove from heat.

Garnish with cilantro leaves. Set aside.

For Masal Dosa:

Smear a spoon full of oil or ghee on a hot tawa. Take a table spoon full of batter and make a thin crepe. Maintain the stove over medium heat. Cover with lid.

Add few spoons of ghee or oil at the edges of the crepe. Now place a table spoon full of potato masala on the top. Maybe tap and spread them a little. Its not necessary to turn the dosa to the other side.

Serve warm along with chutney, sambar or korma.

Alu Saag / Potatoes in Rich Creamy Spinach Gravy - Instant Love With Green Food!

Aloo Paalak:(Restaurant Style)

Urulaikizhangu varuval - Pasalai Keerai Masiyal (North Indian Style), Alu Palak.

Ingredients:

For Alu

Potatoes 1 cup(boiled, peeled, cubed)
Coriander seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Garam masala 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Oil few spoons.

For Saag

Fresh spinach - cleaned 1 large bowl full
Green chilies 6-8
Onion 1 small
Ginger 2 inches chopped
Garlic 2 cloves chopped
Tomato 1 small
Salt
Oil few spoons
Fresh cream to garnish.

Method:

Stir-fry potatoes with all the above mentioned ingredients(Alu) and set aside.

Heat oil in a vessel, add all the above mentioned ingredients(Saag) except cream. Once the leaves wilt, puree them.

Now mix the both fried potatoes with greens puree, top them with fresh cream.

Serve to go with pulkah rotis or rice.

Badami Alu Curry / Baby Potatoes in Almond Based Curry / Urulaikizhangu Badam Korma

Badami Dhum Aloo:

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes / I used regular tho' cud'nt find them at that time:(
Onion bulb onion grated
Green chili 1 minced
Ginger-garlic paste 1/2 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Pepper powder 1/2 spoon
Coriander powder 1/2 spoon
Cumin powder 1/2 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/2 spoon.
Tomato 2 pureed
Saffron few strands - powdered
Cardamon 6
Bay leaves 2
Almonds 15 - paste
Ghee for frying
Cilantro leaves few.

Method:

In a shallow pan, heat ghee. Throw in the whole spices. Add onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, and all the powdered spices...stir-in peeled potatoes. Mix well, then tomatoes too...fry real good. Once it is aromatic, add enough water...cover and cook. Maybe for at least 20 minutes...until the potatoes are done thoroughly to core.

Further add almond paste, continue cooking. Once oil shows up on the top, and the potatoes are done completely...add the chopped cilantro leaves, remove from heat.

Serve warm to go with your chappathis or rotis.

Alu - Mutton Korma / Urulai kizhangu - Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu

Potatoes and Mutton Curry:

Bahara Khaana and Alu-Mutton Qorma is a match made in heaven.

Ingredients:

Mutton 1/4 kilo - with bones, fat-trimmed
Large potatoes - peeled and sliced
Green chilies 3 sliced
Curry leaves few
Onion paste 1 cup
Ginger-garlic paste 1/2 spoon
Tomato crushed 1
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Bay leaves few
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1 stick
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few
Coconut few pieces - ground to paste.

Method:

Pressure cook the meat, with little salt in it...till tender.

Heat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed vessel. Add the whole spices followed by curry leaves and chilies.

Now, add the onion paste, ginger-garlic paste. Fry real good, till fragrant.

Followed by tomato and potatoes, cover and cook. Maybe add 1-2 cups of water.

Once the potatoes are done, add the powdered spices plus meat. Allow this to boil, without lid.

Further add coconut paste and reduce heat. Once it turns aromatic, remove from heat.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve warm along with main course.

Potatoes and Broad Beans Masala / Urulai Kizhangu - Avaraikkai Masala / Alu aur Bakla ka Subzi

Potatoes-Broad Beans Spicy Fry:

Bangaladumpa-Chikudukaya Koora. Urulai Kizhangu - Avaraikkai Masala Poriyal. Alu aur Bakla ka Subzi.

Once upon a time, there was a girl...who hated to eat her breakfast, lunch and dinner. True story and that is me:( You would have probably heard this from anyone' who stayed in a hostel for several years of their life. Even tho' the food is decent'...when you taste the same old kind of stuff for months after months' without any alteration in the recipe' it can never be deemed tastier! Gosh, I hated this subzi so badly, back then at Delhi hostel! I used to abscond away...when I see anything that resembles potatoes in the menu! Maybe that would the perfect reason for me to totally skip the idea of pairing any vegetable with that of potatoes! Somehow' I thought of fixing this recipe and I had this inner feeling' that I can make them very palatable, indeed it turned out good:)

Ingredients:

Potatoes 2 large - boiled, peeled and cubed
Broad beans - chopped
Green chili - 1 minced
Onion 1 large chopped
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomatoes 2 crushed
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeds powder 1 spoon
Cumin seeds powder 1 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/2 spoons
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add chili, onions and ginger-garlic paste. Fry real good...maybe till the raw odor leaves the pan.

Add toamtoes, salt and all the powdered spices to it. Add potatoes and cook briefly.

Followed by broad beans. Cover and cook till tender. Then, remove the lid and continue frying over low-medium heat. Maybe till all the moisture is absorbed and oil shows up on the sides.

Serve warm to go with rotis, or rice.