RECIPE: Punjabi Aloo (Punjabi-style Potatoes) - India (Vegan)

[Guest guest]

Here's another potato dish - they seem to go down well with this group You

will need to

adjust the spices to your taste of course - it's always hard to know what is and

is not too

hot for everyone's taste.

 

PUNJABI POTATOES (ALOO) - INDIA (Vegan)

 

This is a rural dish, eaten usually with Indian bread (although you could

substitute

something like pita) and some green vegetables etc. on the side.

 

2 Tbsp canola oil

3/4 to 1 cup onions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, finely grated

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

1 fresh green chile (or more to taste), finely chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp ground cayenne (or to taste - we like ours hot!)

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 lb potatoes, in 1-inch (2 cm) dice

t tsp garam masala * (your own is better, see below* or a good commercial brand)

 

Heat oil in a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat and add onions,

stirring them

until they are golden. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for another minute,

then add the

other ingredients EXCEPT FOR the potatoes and garam masala.

 

Lower heat to medium and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring well. Add

the

potatoes and 1-1/2 cups water and stir, bringing back to the boil over a higher

heat, then

reduce heat to low, cover and simmer the dish until the potatoes are done -

should be

around 20 minutes. Give the potatoes a bit of a stir from time to time.

 

When the potatoes are tender remove the lid and return heat to medium. Cook for

another

10 minutes or so, so that the gravy has boiled off a bit and thickened. Sprinkle

garam

masala* over the top, stir, and serve hot.

 

*GARAM MASALA: This just means a hot spice mix, according to the individual

cookÕs own

personal blend, but would be mixed and kept in a jar since it is added in small

quantities

to various dishes in addition to the other spices for the recipe. The commercial

brands are

okay if you just need a sprinkle on top of a dish, stirred in at the end, but

they use

cheaper spices and lack the wonderful scent of the homemade versions.

 

HereÕs one mix that works rather well - you can find recipes for others:

 

1 Tbsp cardamom seeds (not the whole pod, just the seeds!)

1 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp whole black cumin seeds

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

ca. 1/3 of a whole nutmeg

2-inch stick cinnamon

 

Put all of these into a clean coffee grinder (I have one I reserve ONLY for

grinding my

spices fresh as I need them - makes all the difference!) and grind to a fine

powder. Keep in

a darkish place (cupboard) in an airtight jar until needed from time to time.

 

SUCH a good way to take your potatoes!!!

 

Love, Pat