Kadai Aloo

Kadai Aloo
The best thing about the universally loved vegetable, potato, is that it is so versatile. You could make a starter or an entire meal out of it. I find it an easy option to cook a dish with potato when I have people over because they are unlikely to dislike potato. I was having a friend and her colleague over to our place and they were going to stay with us for the weekend. They were on a twelve hours bus journey to reach our place and I was pretty sure they would be starving by the time they reach home. Although usually I would make a lot of effort to cook elaborate meals if anyone comes home, this time I was going to be more relaxed as it was a close friend and also because I think I am gaining more confidence as a cook. These days it is easier and quicker to whip up a delicious meal and get credit for it. Anyway, I had made palak dal, chapatti and was going to make chatpate aloo. Then it changed to aloo in a rich gravy and finally it ended up becoming the recipe I have posted now. I must say that it was a hit and I thought my husband may not like it as it was not really a gravy but a moist sabji like consistency, I was proved wrong. This recipe is certainly a keeper! Here is how I made it


4-5 medium sized potatoes, cubed and boiled
1 onion, sliced thinly
3-4 dry red chillies (preferably soaked in water for some time)
2 tablespoon cashew nuts
1 teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Grind together red chillies, cashewnuts, ginger, garlic, coriander powder and cumin powder. Add water just enough to grind it to a paste

Heat some oil in a skillet and add cumin seeds. Once it browns add onions and cook until it softens

Add the potatoes and mix so the oil coats the potatoes and it does not become mushy. Add the ground paste, required salt, kasoori methi and coriander leaves and cook on low flame until raw smell goes. You may cook longer to enable the flavours to soak into the potatoes

Serve hot with rice or any Indian bread or even Pita bread!

If you like the yellow colour, add turmeric powder once onion softens.

Appalam Kuzhambu

Appalam Kuzhambu


Vatha kuzhambu is quite a popular dish especially among tamilians. however appalam kuzhambu is poplar among a narrower set of people, typically brahmins. Appalam is nothing but a variant of pappadom. The appalam used for this dish is special in a way. Typically ‘rettai appalam’ is used and it just means there are two layers of appalam stuck to each other so it is quite thick. I guess it is so because a single layer may just dissolve and disappear in the liquid while two layered appalam stays quite integral. I tried to make this recipe once when my brother and sister-in-law visited us as both of them love it. I wanted to make it exactly like mom and once I tasted it I was pleasantly surprised by how it tasted exactly like my mom’s dish. I followed her recipe afterall but it still shows how I am evolving as a cook as even if you give two people the same ingredients and same recipe, they could make dishes that taste so different. Anyway, here is the recipe...

6-8 urd appalam
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon channa dal
1/2 teaspoon urd dal
2-3 dry red chillies (more if you like it hot)
2-3 heaped teaspoons sambar powder
Asafoetida
Cooking oil
Salt to taste

Fry the appalam in oil or if you prefer to microwave, do so.

Heat couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet and mustard seeds, channa dal, urd dal, asafoetida, turmeric powder and dry red chillies

Once the mustard seeds splatter, add the sambar powder and stir quickly so it does not burn

Add 2 cups of water, tamarind paste and the fried appalam, required salt and boil until desired consistency is achieved

Serve with rice and ghee or with curd rice

Curried Spring Greens and Saag

Curried Spring Greens and Saag

Despite spring greens being a healthy leafy green vegetable, it is not quite popular in my kitchen. I have found the lack of tenderness of the leaves to be the reason why it is not ideal for me. However as I am trying to cut costs as far as possible and one of the challenges it poses is utilisation of cheaply available nutrients, I thought I should try the spring greens again. This time I was clever in having a nice dish to inspire me and it was sarson ka saag (a dish made with mustard leaves and spinach). I came across the recipe on show me the curry and that gave me some tips like removing the rib of the leaves so the hard fibre in them do not put me off. In order to impart more flavour and make it closer to sarson ka saag I added mustard seed paste and also cooked the dish in mustard oil. I have not tasted sarson ka saag before but I can tell you that this dish came out very well. This has made spring greens a keeper in my shopping list. Here is how I made it...

2 bunches spring green, the centre rib removed and leaves torn up
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 cup tomato puree or 3 finely chopped tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoon mustard seed paste
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon dhania powder
Few pinches of Punjabi garam masala or normal garam masala
2-3 green chillies finely chopped (adjust according to preference)
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder
Cooking oil

Bring together the spring greens and spinach in a saucepan and cook in about half cup water

Cool this and pulse it in food processor. If you prefer puree, then grind accordingly

Heat some oil and add the onions, fry for a couple of minutes and add ginger garlic paste and chillies and cook until onion turns soft

Add the tomato puree (use thick puree) and turmeric powder and cook until they all come together

Add the spring greens and spinach mixture, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, mustard seed paste and salt. Add about half cup water and cook for about 5 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved.

To garnish, you could sauté chunky chopped onions and tomatoes, this is optional though.

Serve with any Indian bread or rice