Dum Aloo / Baby Potatoes in a spicy gravy

My husband and I were grocery shopping one day and came across these really cute looking Baby potatoes in the store. My husband being a fan of potatoes, instantly wanted us to get them and figure out a recipe to make something of them. Of course, when he says "us", he really means I should figure something out and cook them. So, I looked through a lot of recipes and came across something that seemed interesting and closer to our liking. I made it soon as I could and of course my husband loved it and wants "us" to do it

again! Here is the recipe and hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did :)

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes: 15
Onions 2
Tomatoes 2

Green chillies 4

Garam Masala Powder
Oil

Salt

Red chilli powder (based on how spicy you would like it)

Garlic 2-3

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. To begin with, slightly boil the potatoes by covering them wi

th water and using either a pressure cooker (no more than 2 whistles) or a microwave. Make sure the potatoes are not fully boiled, as they might break easily in such a case.

2. You can now easily peel off the skin on the potatoes once they have cooled down after boiling.
3. Heal oil in a deep vessel and pour enough amount of oil to be able to deep fry the above potatoes. The potatoes should turn golden brown

as you fry them. Remove the potatoes into a paper towel and keep them aside.

4. Heat some oil in a pan and add sliced onions. Fry them until golden brown and add any masala powder you choose to use for your cooking.

5. Turn off the heat and let the fried onions cool down.
6. As they onions are cooling down, you may add halved tomatoes, peeled garlic and sliced green chillies into a blender. Once the onions are cool enou

gh, add them into the blender along with the others mentioned above. Now blend the mixture into a fine paste, making sure everything has blended well.
7. Heat about 1 tbspoon oil in a pan again and add cumin seeds and the above paste. Do not add any water as yet. Add salt, masala powder and red chilli powder to the paste and stir well. Let the paste cook until the oil separates and it starts to look dry.

8. As the paste is cooking, take a fork and poke the previously fried potatoes on all sides carefully. Making these tiny holes lets the above masala or paste add taste to the potatoes.
9. When the paste looks dry and well cooked, now add some water based on how thick or thin you like your gravy/sauce to be.10. Right away add the potatoes and cover with lid on medium heat and cook fir another 10-15 minutes.
11. Uncover the pan and let any of the remaining water evaporate.
12. Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and eat with rice or roti.

BANGALA DUMPA MASALA KURA / SPICY POTATO SABJI

INGREDIENTS:


Potato....................2
Onions...................2
Red Chilly...............5 to 6
Cumin Seeds...........2 t sp.
Garlic Cloves...........3
Dry Mango powder...1 t sp.
Oil...........................4 to 5 tbl sp.
Salt for taste
Turmeric..................1/2t sp.


METHOD:

1.Peel Potato and cut into small cubes. Half boil them and keep aside.
2.Cut Onions, roast them in 2 t sp. of oil till they look transparent. let it cool.
3.Along with chilly, cumin, dry mango powder (amchur) the onions must be put in the mixi and ground to a paste.
4.In a pan take oil, fry half cooked potato pieces few at a time. keep them aside. If oil is not a health concern then, one can deep fry them. Dependes on once choice.
5.In a wider pan again put oil, add this onion paste and fry it nicely with out getting burnt. Add salt, turmeric.
6.Add fried potatoes to the masala. Mix it well to cover the masala to all the pieces.
7.Now the hot alu masala curry is ready to taste with hot rice.
8.It serves 4 to 5 persons.

ఆలూ బొండా: Alu bonda- Fried potato balls

INGREDIENTS:

1.Potaoes..................................2 big ones.

2.Onion......................................1

3.Carrot......................................1.

4.French Beans...........................3 or 4

5.Green Peas...............................2 tbl sp.

6.Cali Flower.............................few pieces if desired.

7.Green Chilly...............................5 or 6

8.Lemon juice................................2 tbl sp.

9.Pea Nuts /Cashew nuts(both)..2 tbl sp.

10.Cilantro.....................................

11.Salt.............................................as per taste.

12.Oil..............................................for deep frying.

13.Besan (Bengal gram flour).....less than a cup.

14.Bengal gram dal

15.Black gram dal

16.Mustard seeds

17.Cumin seeds.

18.Asefoetido..............................pinch 1/4 sp.

19.Red chilly...............................2.

Water..............................................for mixing the flour.

METHOD:

1.Sieve the flour to be clean and with out any lumps.

2. put enough water to make a semi solid batter. mix it nicely with hand. It should be smooth and fine. keep a side.

3.Boil potato and peel. cut into pieces. keep a side. cut all other vegetables into small.

4.Keep a pan, put little oil, Break the red chilly, put it in the oil. next put all the seasoning items as required. and the nuts. 

5. Stir, and do not burn them. when they flutter, add the cut veg. mix them well.

6.When the veg. are nearly cooked add  already boiled potato pieces. again stir well. do not over cook. it will be tasty if they are little crunchy. also when we put them in hot oil they will cook again any way. take out from fire. add lemon juice. mix well. lemon never should added in very hot condition when o the stove.

7.When it gets cool, add the finely cut cilantro. make into balls of your choice.

8.Keep a frying pan on stove pour oil, heat it. should be hot.

9. Now dip veg. ball in to the besan batter, drop slowly into the oil. depending on the size and the oil poured in the pan, you can put 4 or 5 at a time. fry them. they should not be dark colour.

10.Fry all in the same way.

11. The tasty Bondas are ready to eat hot, with chutney.

12. It makes 14 to 15 pieces.

బజ్జీ- Bajji- Fritters

Serves: Three. Preparation time: 40 minutes


Ingredients:

1 cup Bengal gram flour (Bésan, Senagapindi)    
1/4 cup Rice flour (Chával ká átá, Beeyappindi)
1/2 Tsp Garam masala powder
1 Tsp Red Chilli powder or to taste
1 level Tsp Salt or to taste
1/2 Tsp Tsp Cumin seeds (Jheera, Jilakara)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric (Haldi, Pasupu)
2 pinches Asafoetida (Heeng, Inguva)

1 heaped cup vegetables (eg; Potato, Plantain, Ridge gourd)
1/2 cup water
Oil to fry

Method:
1. Wash, peel and thinly slice the vegetable into rounds. Set aside.  
2. Place a cauldron of oil on heat so that it is ready by the time we prepare our Bajji batter/dough.

3. In a bowl, sift together all the flours and spices, make sure that they are evenly mixed.  

4. Add a little over 1/2 cup of water to the bowl, mix well making sure to break up any lumps. You may need to add a little bit more of water to get the right consistency. It should be thinner than Idli batter but slightly thicker than Dosa batter. (This benchmark has already been explained in Idli, also refer to step 6. for further explanation on batter consistency). 
5. The oil must be hot enough to fry. Drop a grain sized amount of dough/batter into the oil to test, if it sinks to the bottom and then rises up foaming, oil is hot enough. 
6. Dip each vegetable round into the batter, the batter covers the vegetable and coats it evenly but is thick enough not to drain away completely, it slowly drips off the vegetable. Drop this coated vegetable round into the oil. Repeat this step until the surface of the oil is full of frying Bajjis. 

7. While the Bajjis are frying, line a plate with blotting paper. Stir the Bajjis to turn them around for even frying. 
8. When the Bajjis are golden brown (around 7 minutes but depends on oil temperature and also what vegetable/how thick the rounds are), pick them out with a slotted ladle and transfer onto the plate lined with blotting paper.  
Serve hot with Tomato ketchup or any chutney. Bajjis are great on their own too. 


Variations:
Bajjis can be made from a variety of vegetables. Potato, Plantain, Ridge gourd, Onions, Capsicum, Chillies (if not hot), Eggplants, Zucchini (Courgette, Summer Squash), Cauliflower.
Optional: You may add half a teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste into the batter/dough.
Professional cooks add a pinch of baking soda, it makes the bajjis come out fluffy. However, they soak up more oil and end up with a higher dose of sodium.

Culture & Health:
Called 'Pakoda' by some, 'Bajji' by others, they say a perfect rainy day activity is to sip hot tea or coffee with piping hot pakodas.
I love the taste of soggy leftover Bajjis on the day after they're made, the vegetable flavour permeates into the fried soggy batter. Others like refried Bajjis, leftover soggy Bajjis come out extra crisp when fried again on the next day.
Bhajji-pav is a favourite street-side food sold by cart-vendors in Mumbai. It consists of a potato bajji jammed between a bun, with green chutney, tamarind chutney and other spices.
I don't want to defame/slander the reputation of such a yummy preparation by starting on its health angle. Let me just say, chickpea flour is a good source of protein, while the vegetable provides vitamins & minerals ;-) :-P
On a serious note, we all know that fried foods do all the bad things possible to our system. The vegetable loses most of its vitamin load in the frying process. This preparation is not recommended for regular consumption, it is not for the health conscious, it is not for those on any kind of dietary restrictions. It is full of oil (empty calories: a no no for diabetics. all that cholesterol: a no go zone for heart patients. all that fat: stresses our dear liver, a complete no entry for those with a problem liver/kidneys) and sodium (so much salt/soda, a no no for high blood pressure candidates, gout candidates, arthritic personalities, those on dialysis... I believe most diseases are exacerbated by sodium intake, so we need to watch out!).
And Baba Ramdevji says besan is very bad for health, so don't even feel good about the protein. :-)

Trivia:
If there is one thing that I remember my mother cooking regularly, it's pakodas and bajjis!!
Warning: This food is highly addictive and difficult to resist. ;-)

పూరి కూర: Puri with potato curry

Puri(s)
Preparation time: 40 min
Makes around 20-25 puris

Ingredients:

2 cups atta (wholewheat) flour
1 tsp of oil
pinch of salt
warm water
Oil for frying



Method:

Take a wide bowl and mix together atta flour, a tsp oil and pinch of salt.
Slowly pour warm water to make a smooth stiff dough. It should be a slightly firm dough.
Let it sit covered for 5-10 minutes.
Divide dough into small lemon-sized balls and roll them out into circular shapes, slightly thicker than rotis and smaller(in diameter) than rotis.




Meanwhile, heat enough oil for frying the puris.
Slowly slide the rolled out puris into the hot oil and press gently with the spatula in the center of the puri so that it puffs up and turns golden brown.
Flip the puri to cook the other side for 15-20 seconds till it turns golden brown.
Drain the puris ensuring all the oil has been drained along the sides of the cooking vessel.
Remove onto a absorbent kitchen towel. Tastes great when served hot.

Note: If Puris dont puff up it means the oil is either too hot or not hot enough. Sometimes, it can be because of the thickness of the puris rolled. Puris should be thicker.

Puri kura is my all time favorite :)


Potato curry
Preparation time: 30 min
Serves 2




Ingredients:
2 potatoes(medium sized), finely sliced
2 onions(medium sized), finely sliced
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tbsp besan/senaga pindi/chick pea flour
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsps oil

For seasoning/popu/tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp minappa pappu/urad dal
1 tsp channa dal/senaga pappu
2-3 green chillis chopped
1″ inch ginger finely minced
5-6 curry leaves(optional)



Method:

Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dal and channa dal and fry till they turn red. Add fresh curry leaves, green chillis and ginger and saute for a few secs.
Add the sliced onions and potatoes and saute on medium heat for a minute.
Add enough water(around 2 cups), salt, turmeric and place the lid and cook till potatoes are cooked. Stir occasionally and add water if needed.
Add besan to 2 tbsp of water without any lumps and add this mixture to the boiled potatoes and mix well. Adjust water according to the consistency you like.
Simmer till the rawness of besan disappears, about 5-6 mins and the curry slightly thickens.
Serve with puris.

Note: You can also add boiled, peeled potatoes to the fried onions after the tadka / talimpu and add little water & follow the rest of the procedure.
It is more tasty if the quantity of onions is more than the potatoes.