Tag: potato

NASI KUNING JAWA

main meal

NASI KUNING JAWA

Nasi kuning(or yellow rice) comes from the regions of jawa. Traditionally made during festivals and especially birthdays.
In case it is made for a birthday, rice cooked with turmeric, herbs and coconut milk will be packed into a cone shaped mould and then inverted onto a base of rice in the form of a circle . The rice is then surrounded by various other food items, such as tempe( fermented soya cake), chicken, fish, fresh basil and cucumber. The person whose birthday it is slices off the top of the cone onto a plate without the rice disintegrating.. I  have done a miniature nasi kunning plate to show you all.

Normally at home, we just put the  rice, sprinkle some fried peanuts and fried onions, and surround with tempe, chicken in red sauce or tofu potato in red sauce, and sayur acar.( pronounced achaar) Fresh sweet basil is a must along with cucumber slices. Best eaten with hand.
We can call this an Indonesian thali. Recipe is slightly long, but fairly easy to make. Do try it and enjoy.

YELLOW RICE
Soak 2 cups of jasmine rice for 30 mins.
Drain.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add 1 stick cinnamon, 2 fresh bay leaves, 4 kaffir lime leaves, 1 stalk of lemon grass( only bottom white part, bashed)
.
#( incase you don’t gave fresh herbs, use star anise, tej pata and cinnamon)

Saute for a few mins and add drained rice.
Add 100 ml thick coconut milk
And  100ml of water
Mix well, add 2 tbsps grated fresh turmeric and salt to taste.
When liquid dries up, transfer rice to a steamer and steam for 15 to 20 mins. Done. Keep warm.

AYAM MERAH( RED CHICKEN)
300 gms of boneless chicken..cubed
2 tomatoes .. cut into quarters
12 shallots
4 garlic pods..do not cut
4 garlic pods cut fine.
4 red chillies.
2 kaffir lime leaves
Lime juice
Salt and sugar to taste.

Take a pan, add chicken, tomatoes, whole shallots, whole garlic, and red chillies. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook till everything is soft.
Remove chicken and keep aside.
Coarsely grind the cooked tomatoes, onions, garlic and red chillies.

Heat 2 tbsps of oil
Add chopped garlic and 2 kaffir lime leaves. Saute for few mins
Add the red paste and cook till oil seperates.
Add the chicken back, season with salt and a little sugar.
Lastly add  a tbsp  of lime juice.
Keep aside.

TEMPE ORIK
300 gms tempe, cut into small batons
( can use potato or paneer)
Deep fry and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan
Add 6 sliced garlic pods( slice, do not chop)
10 sliced shallots
1 inch bashed ginger
2 green chillies, cut at a slant
2 red chillies cut at a slant
Saute for few mins, till onions turn golden brown.
Add the fried tempe( or potato or paneer)
Stir fry
Add 2 tbsp of kecap manis( or honey)
1 tbsp tamarind paste.
Salt to taste
Stir quickly and shut flame.
Keep aside.

SAYUR ACAR( VEGETABLE ACHAR)
1 carrot.
5 french beans
1 cucumber, unpeeled and seeds removed
( cut all 3 above mentioned vegetables into medium batons)
10 shallots cut into 2

Grind together with little water
3 roasted candlenuts or 4 cashews
1 inch pc  fresh turmeric
1 inch ginger
4 garlic pods
4 shallots.

Heat oil in a pan, add paste and saute well.
Add carrots, french beans, shallots, and cucumber…saute well, add 1/4 cup water and cook till vegs are done,and no water remains. Vegs should retain  a bite. Shut fire and add salt, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tbsp of vinegar.  mix well.
Done. Keep aside..

OTHER INGREDIENTS
sliced cucumbers
Thai basil leaves
Dried or roasted peanuts
Fried onions.

Assembling
Take a plater, line with a  banana leaf.
Pile rice in the center.
Surround with tempe orik, cucumber slices, red chicken,  sayur acar, basil leaves, sprinkle peanuts and fried onions . And serve.
Can serve red chillie sambal too with some fryums.

AUR JI BHAJI..SINDHI STYLE.

main meal

Aur ji Bhaji ( sindhi style)

This recipe , is of  a delicious stew made sindhi style. A  very very simple and easy recipe.
Today I was craving this, so made it. Aur( rai, mustard seeds ) imparts a very good flavour to this dish , hence the name. Feel free to use any vegetables in this preparation. Though I like using the basic, potato, carrot, french beans, whole shallots and wadi. Here I would like to point out that we don’t get wadi in Jakarta,  and though I can bring them from India, am not really fond of the dry wadis. So since years I have been  making fresh moong dal  kachoris and adding  to the stew at the last moment just before serving.
Now about Authentic recipes. Normally an AUR JI bhaji, will be differently cooked in different houses, there are sindhis who don’t use any tomatoes in the preparation and there are some like me who grew up eating this dish based on a tomato gravy. Have tried making both ways and both ways are delicious. So I cannot really say which of the 2 is authentic. 
Today I will share the tomato based aur ji bhaji.
You can serve this with rice or with phulkas. I love eating this with chapati torn in pieces and added to a bowl of aur ji bhaji..yummm.

Soak 1/4 cup dhuli hui moong dal for 2 hours, drain and grind with minimum water, add a piece of ginger and 1 green chillie while grinding. Season with salt. Mix  well.

Fry teaspoons of the mixture to get about 16 fresh wadi/ kachori.Keep aside.

Blanch 2 tomatoes, discard the skin.
Put in a mixer jar along with one roughly cut tomato.and a small piece of ginger.
Grind and strain the juice. Discard seeds.

Put tomato puree in a sauce pan, add about 3 cups of water, and vegetables.
1 carrot cut into batons
1 peeled and cut potato
About 15 peeled shallots
4 french beans(  cut each into 3 or 4)
Bring to a rolling boil.
Add 1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps red chillie powder.
Salt to taste.
Once vegetables are tender, add a slurry of wheatflour.  Till the gravy is thick.
( 1 used about 1.5 tbsps in 1/2 cup of water).
Add freshly cut corriander leaves and let simmer while we make the tadka.

Heat 2.5 tbsps of oil in a small pan
Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing
2 sprigs of tender curry leaves
1.5  heaped tbsp of finely minced garlic

Saute till fragrant, add to simmering gravy. Done.

To serve..
Add few kachoris in a bowl and pour hot gravy over them. Enjoy

Ketoprak..

main meal

Ketoprak..
( pronounced KAT..O..PRAAK)

This dish is a sibling of the more famous INDONESIAN GADO GADO.
You can say its a filling salad which can be had hot, cold or at room temperature.
We prefer it at room temprature.
Unlike the gado gado, which is mostly all steamed vegetables, KETOPRAK consists of potato, tofu, rice vermicilli, bean sprouts , cucumber and sometimes  LONTONG( rice cake) .
Today I will share the recipe of  LONTONG,  Aka rice cake. Easy to make and very satisfying. A complete meal on its own and delicious. So basically we make the lontong first as it needs a good one hour boil on the fire.  And while thats being done we prep the other ingredients. Here in Jakarta we sometimes buy the lontong from the wet markets. Readily available. And sometimes when time permits, we make them at home. Lontong keep well in the fridge for upto 2 days. Do try the recipe.
Have included the photos in the comment section.

For lontong
1 or 2 cups of starchy jasmine rice.
Wash and soak for 2 hours.
Drain.
( we dont add salt or oil)
Cut softened banana leaves into squares, take 2 squares one on top of the other and form a cylinder. Secure one end with toothpick.
Fill  the drained rice with a spoon in the banana leaf rolls., half way. And secure with a toothpick.
Now fill a good sized pan with a lot of water, and submerge the rolls in it.
Water should fully cover the rolls. Depending on the size of the rolls, and the size of the pot, you can boil them in upright or horizontal position.
Cover and cook on medium heat for a good one hour. The rolls will be cooked by then. Remove and keep aside to cool.
The size of banana leaf roll can be adjusted.
( picture in comments section)
(Apologies for one photo which got deleted by mistake, the one with the rolls in the pan)

Preparation..
2 big squares of tofu..soak in salted water, drain and deep fry whole.
2 to 3 boiled potatoes peeled and deep fried whole.
2 cucumbers, peeled
1  big bowl of beansprouts ..blanched and drained.
1 big bowl of  boiled rice vermicilli.
Some fried onions
Khaffir lime or normal lime halves.

Peanut sauce..

100 gms fried peanuts with skin or without
4 kaffir lime leaves ( middle stock removed)
1/2 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
Veg stock powder, or msg 1/4 tsp
3 bird chillies, 3 red chillies
3 pods of garlic
30 gms palm sugar( I have boiled the palm sugar with little water , and strained to get rid of impurities.)
3 tbsps tamarind pulp

. Saute the red chillies, bird eye chillies and garlic in 2 tbsps oil.
2. In a mixer jar, add fried peanuts, chillies and garlic. Add salt, pepper and veg stock powder., the kaffir lime leaves. Add some water and blend to a thick paste.
3. Heat 2 or 3 tbsps oil, and put the peanut paste. Saute for a while, and add palm sugar and tamarind water. Also add about one cup water and let it cook till oil starts seperating.
Keep aside.

To serve..
In a platter, arrange the rice vermicilli, sprouts,  cut the tofu , potatoes, and cucumbers ( at an angle)  and lontong cut into thick discs.
Top with  peanut sauce and lime juice.
Sprinkle some fried onions.( pls do not omit).
Enjoy.

Soaked and drained rice
Make the roll

Capcai ( chaap chai)

main meal

CAPCHAI
Pronounced.. chaap chai.

This is a simple stew, which we eat regularly at home. Especially when we have been eating out a lot. A very simple healthy non spicy dish which is really tasty.
Have it accompanied with egg fried rice to make a one dish meal. A very forgiving dish, which makes use of a lot of vegetables…( good way to clear out your fridge.😊)
You can make it vegetarian, or add chicken, or prawns.  Just make sure to cut the vegetables at a slant. So they can cook evenly and fast.

3 options to have this dish.
1.. Poured over fried rice.
2.. Poured over a mix of boiled noodles and deep fried boiled noodles.( also called IFUMIE) similar to chopsuey.
3. Poured over fried or steamed wontons( including a picture in comments.)

Just make sure its made on a high flame. And try to make  it near serving time, so the vegetables look fresh and not limp. Vegetables  should have a crunch..

1 carrot..peeled, sliced at a slant .
1 potato , peeled , quartered and sliced  at a slant.
4 baby corn, sliced at a slant.
1/2 cup of broccoli flowerlettes .. soaked in salted water.
1/2 cup pakchoi or mustard greens roughly chopped.
10 snappeas…baby sweetpeas whole.
1 big dry shitake mushroom ( boil in water untill soft).. then sliced.( retain about 1 cup of the water)
1 onion cut into big cubes
1 bell pepper..green or red or yellow, cut into big cubes.
1/2 cup quartered mushrooms( fresh or tinned)
1/2 cup chinese cabbage roughly chopped.
OPTIONAL…I ADDED SILKEN TOFU.
2 to 3 tbsps vegetarian oyster sauce.
2 tbsps sesame oil
1 tsp white pepper powder
Salt to taste.
1 tsp mushroom seasoning or MSG.
About 2 heaped tbsps cornflour mixed with some water to make a slurry..use as required.

To be ground to a paste..
3 seedless red chillies
6 garlic pods
1 inch piece of ginger.

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan and add the paste. Saute till fragrant and add the white pepper and salt.
Now add carrots, potato, corn, mushrooms and mix. ( IF ADDING CHICKEN , ADD NOW, BONELESS CUBED )

Add  3 cups of HOT WATER.( including reserved water from shitake mushrooms)
Let the vegetables boil for about 5 mins, and add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, msg.
Now add onions, bell pepper, snap peas, chinese cabbage , pok choi, and broccoli.

Bring to a rolling boil for few mins only. 
Now add enough cornflour slurry to thicken the stew. Check seasoning and serve immediately.


Sindhi fote bhugi khichdi with fusion potato sabji.

main meal

Sometimes the simplest of food can bring such comfort. For me, my comfort soul food is sindhi fote bhugi khichdi, accompanied by a potato sabji, crispy brinjal or karela and a piece of fried fish. Being a Sindhi, I have grown up  eating delicious simple food cooked by my mom. Sindhi food is really simple and easy to put together.
When I got married,  every sunday our food was FOTE BHUGI KHICHDI( khichdi cooked with cardamom)  methi patata, dahi and fryums.. it was  the family sunday meal. Over time I changed the methi aloo to a fusion aloo sabji( aka malaysian and Bengali fusion).  Now its  cooked twice a month😊But its a meal I look forward to . Please do try this combination.

2 cups rice
1/2 cup split green moong dal( with skin)
2 tsps freshly ground elaichi powder
2 tsps shah jeeri
2 tsps salt
2 to 3 tbsps oil

Mix the dal and rice , wash well and soak for an hour.
Drain out the water.
Heat a pan, add oil, jeeri and elaichi powder . Once fragrant, add the rice and dal mix.  Saute for few mins, Add salt and enough water to cook the khichdi. We want each grain seperate. Not a mushy khichdi.
Done.
Ps…I cook the khichdi with enough water to cover, once water dries up I shift the rice to a steamer. And steam cook for 20 mins.

Aloo sabji
3 boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.
1 small  onion sliced
1 small onion chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes..finely chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic.
1/2 tbsp paanch phoran( mix mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, onion seeds, saunf).
1 sprigs..about 10 curry leaves.
2 heaped tsps curry powder( I used malaysian baba brand)
2 tsps red chillie powder.
Salt to taste
Corriander ..finely chopped.

Heat 2 to 3 tbsps mustard oil in a pan, add panch phoran, followed by curry leaves.
Now add minced garlic and ginger., saute. Add the diced onions and saute till onions become translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, curry powder, salt, red chillie powder  and mix well. Add the cubed potatoes and sliced onion. Mix and finally add corriander leaves. Done.

For the fish, I took one boneless fillet of  snapper.  Marinated in turmeric and salt, gave a lime rub and shallow fried in oil.

Remove and sprinkle generously with red chillie powder, corriander seed powder, amchoor.
This is a typlcal Sindhi  sprinkle mix for fried fish or  fried arbi.

Sindhi Phote(cardamom) Bhugi Khichdi with fusion Potato Sabji

main meal

Sometimes the simplest of food can bring such comfort. For me, my comfort soul food is sindhi fote bhugi khichdi, accompanied by a potato sabji, crispy brinjal or karela and a piece of fried fish. Being a Sindhi, I have grown up  eating delicious simple food cooked by my mom. Sindhi food is really simple and easy to put together.
When I got married,  every sunday our food was FOTE BHUGI KHICHDI( khichdi cooked with cardamom)  methi patata, dahi and fryums.. it was  the family sunday meal. Over time I changed the methi aloo to a fusion aloo sabji( aka malaysian and Bengali fusion).  Now its  cooked twice a month😊But its a meal I look forward to . Please do try this combination. SOULFOOD FROM MY HOME TO YOURS.

2 cups rice
1/2 cup split green moong dal( with skin)
2 tsps freshly ground elaichi powder
2 tsps shah jeeri
2 tsps salt
2 to 3 tbsps oil

Mix the dal and rice , wash well and soak for an hour.
Drain out the water.
Heat a pan, add oil, jeeri and elaichi powder . Once fragrant, add the rice and dal mix.  Saute for few mins, Add salt and enough water to cook the khichdi. We want each grain seperate. Not a mushy khichdi.
Done.
Ps…I cook the khichdi with enough water to cover, once water dries up I shift the rice to a steamer. And steam cook for 20 mins.

Aloo sabji
3 boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.
1 small  onion sliced
1 small onion chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes..finely chopped
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic.
1/2 tbsp paanch phoran( mix mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, onion seeds, saunf).
1 sprigs..about 10 curry leaves.
2 heaped tsps curry powder( I used malaysian baba brand)
2 tsps red chillie powder.
Salt to taste
Corriander ..finely chopped.

Heat 2 to 3 tbsps mustard oil in a pan, add panch phoran, followed by curry leaves.
Now add minced garlic and ginger., saute. Add the diced onions and saute till onions become translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, curry powder, salt, red chillie powder  and mix well. Add the cubed potatoes and sliced onion. Mix and finally add corriander leaves. Done.

For the fish, I took one boneless fillet of  snapper.  Marinated in turmeric and salt, gave a lime rub and shallow fried in oil.

Remove and sprinkle generously with red chillie powder, corriander seed powder, amchoor.
This is a typlcal Sindhi  sprinkle mix for fried fish or  fried arbi.

Grilled Sindhi Dal Sandwich

main meal
The dal sandwich

Grilled Sindhi Dal Sandwich

This Sindhi Speciality, usually sold in carts in Ulhasnagar area, is a grilled vegetable sandwich using raw vegetables and boiled potatoes…Boiled moong dal is usually poured over it and garnished with chutneys, and some sev. A complete meal on its own, and very low on oil usage.  There are many variations for the filling, but I prefer incorporating raw vegs along with boiled potatoes.Do try it out.

A sandwich, when we were children, meant either chutney with sliced tomatoes or a boiled potato toaster, which I loved. My mother would put lots of chillie, onion, kotmir and some dry masalas in boiled mashed potato, make a sandwich and toast it using a stove top hand held toaster, not forgetting the liberal use oil used to make it crisp. We happily ate those along with tomato sauce. Never once asking… where is the protein in this meal?😁😁

Ingredients and method for dal
1 cup of yellow moong dal
( soaked for 4 hours, and boiled with 1 tbsp of crushed garlic and salt)
Boil till soft and mushy, don’t mash it up too much, leave a little bite to it.
Adjust consistency. We want it easily pourable. Not too thin nor thick
Keep aside.
Ingredients  for Sandwich
6 slices of bread
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded raw beetroot
1/2 cup finely sliced green paprika( capsicum)
Tomato slices
2 boiled  potatoes.. peeled and sliced.
Some chaat masala.

Mix cabbage, carrot, beetroot and paprika.
Onto a bread slice place tomato slices and top with the raw shredded vegetables, lastly place boiled potato slices , sprinkle chaat masala and cover with another slice of bread.
Grill the sandwich with oil or butter applied.
I grilled on a stove top with a heavy cover, brushing oil to get it crisp.

Other ingredients
Green chutney
Khatti meethi tamarind chutney
Chaat masala, red chilli powder
And some sev and corriander leaves.

Assembling
Cut a grilled sandwich into half
Place on a plate
Pour HOT dal on it.
Top with green chutney, tamarind chutney, dry masala and sev.
Enyoy your wholesome meal

* make it at serving time. Eat immediately.

Javanese Soto Ayam ( Indonesian chicken Noodle soup)

main meal

Javanese Soto Ayam
(Indonesian chicken noodle  soup)
Soto is a traditional Indonesian soup mainly composed of broth, meat, and vegetables. Many traditional soups are called soto, and the ingredients vary from region to region.
Its a light flavoursome soup on the lines of a Burnese khowsuey, but minus the coconut milk. A DIY style of having soup. A flavoursome soup is made out of herbs, and chicken is normally boiled in it and shredded afterwards. Accompanied by some steamed vegetables. It does require some preparation but the end result is amazing.
Do try this soup as cooked in my home.
Its a one bowl meal.😊

Soups bring comfort during winters and make for a light meal during summers. Sadly, soups were not something made very often at home when we were kids.

Mummy made soup only if we were sick.😊.

But living in Indonesia, its been very easy to make friends with a number of soup varieties. And Soto is a favourite of mine.😊
On to the recipe…


Ingredients to be ground to a fine paste for the soup..
15 small shallots
1 inch pc of ginger
1 inch pc of galangal( can omit)
5 to 6 garlic pods
1 inch piece of fresh turmeric
1 tbsp corriander seeds
5 candle nuts( pan roasted) or 5 cashew nuts

To be added to the soup
300 gms chicken with bone( I prefer the thigh).

Ingredients for flavouring the soup
1 lemongrass root( bashed)
Few fresh bay leaves
Few kaffir lime leaves

Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a sauce pan
Add lemongrass root, bay and kaffir lime leaves. Saute till the herbs release thier fragrance.
Add ground paste and chicken,
saute till oil seperates.
Add 1 litre of hot water.
Add salt and sugar.
Let it simmer for 10 to 15 mins.
Remove chicken, shred and keep aside
Strain  the remaining soup and keep hot.
Prepare the remaining ingredients
1 cup finely sliced cabbage( blanched)
1 cup of bean sprouts( blanched)
1/2 cup of finely chopped spring onions and celery
1/2 cup of fried onions
2 potatoes( cut into thin slices and fried, or use ready potato chips)
Rice noodles, boiled and strained( about 1 big bowl)
1 bowl of shredded chicken
2 boiled eggs( quartered)
Slices of lime
Sambal( boil 6 red chillies, and blend with a little water, 2 pods garlic, salt.

Assembling
Take a bowl and add rice noodles, cabbage, beansprouts ,  boiled eggs, shredded chicken, potato chips, spring onions, fried onions.
Top with very hot soup. And enjoy with a squirt of lime juice and sambal.

Ras kalaan

main meal, Uncategorized

A vegetarian dish which is simple to cook and delicious to eat, describes Ras kalaan, which originates from the southern state of Kerala, inspite of not containing any onions, garlic or ginger, is yet so pleasing to the palette.
In today’s recipe I have added drumsticks, sweet potato, broccoli and green peas. Normally it is made using tubers like yam or potatoes. I like adding different vegetables to this, and at times, have even used mushroons, babycorn etc . Do try this recipe which comes together very quickly.
KALAAN, A name which was so unfamiliar to me years ago, until I stumbled upon it by chance when south Indian food was a big mood with me, it was that particular year when I was cooking a lot of south Indian food. Having been born and brought up In India, I love the regional food which our great country has to offer.
Back to the KAALAN, which is basically a keralite preparation, made with fresh coconut and yogurt. Its fresh and tangy taste is so refreshing , making you want to make it it often. The ideal pairing for this vegetable is rice, though I prefer having it with a roti adai(rice flour roti)or paratha.
Many of us have a image about south Indian food which probably consists of Dosa, Idli, Uttapams etc. Reality is that its a vast platter of numerous dishes which delight the palette. So, on to the recipe. Feel free to replace any vegetables with your favourites.😊

Ras Kalaan
Ingredients
4 drumsticks..scraped,cut into 4 to 5 pieces , and boiled.
1 small sweet potatoe, boiled and cubed
1/2 cup green peas( I used frozen)
1 cup broccoli flowerlets, par boiled.
(Roughly about 200 gms mixed vegetables)
1 cup fresh grated coconut
4 dry red chillies
2 cups fresh yogurt
1 tsp methi seeds (fenugreek)
1 tsp raw rice(washed)
2 tbsps palm sugar( gur) jaggery
1 or 2 green chillies
FOR TEMPERING
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies, broken into pcs
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
Few curry leaves
Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Method
1. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a pan and add 1 tsp methi seeds and 2 dry red chillies(broken). Saute for 2 mins.
2. Grind 1 cup grated coconut, 2 cups yogurt, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp raw rice, the sauted methi seeds and dry red chillies. Grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
3. Heat 2 tbsps coconut oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp chana dal and 1 tbsp udad dal, curry leaves. Saute for a while till fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables and coconut paste along with turmeric powder, salt, 2 tbsps palm sugar and half cup of water.
5. Cook for 5 to 10 mins. Untill oil seperates.
Serve hot with steamed rice, or parathas.

Aloo ka Salan with Khameeri Roti

main meal
ALOO or POTATO, one of the most popular and versatile vegetabe in the world. This wonderful root vegetable, takes on all flavours beautifuly, when teamed with meat or vegetables. Today’s recipe is based on a recipe from the book DAASTAN E DASTARKHAN by Sadaf Hussain. I loved reading this book which has awesome recipes . A cook book well written with each recipe having its own small memory attached to it.

In India, every region has its own popular recipes for aloo sabji/ salaan. The sookha aloo puri served in maharashtra, which is a popular dish to take on long train journeys, or the aloo or potato chaats of Banaras which are oh so spicy and tangy, the Dum aloo of Awadi cuisine and so on.
Potatoes are a favourite with children and adults. Also considered to be healthy carbs, unless fried.
But the pleasure of eating french fries dipped in different sauces, or biting into a piece of sindhi aloo tuk, double fried crispy goodness is something which I love. So when I came across this interesting recipe incorporating anjeer( dried figs) I knew I had to make this. And believe me it was a very tasty sabji which I paired with Khameeri Roti.

INGREDIENTS For Aloo Salan
4 boiled potatoes, cubed.
1 big onion finely chopped
2 +1 tbsps of mustard oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
4 medium tomates, finely chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
2 tsp khus khus(poppy seeds) soaked in 1 tsp water, then ground to a paste.
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turneric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 or 3 dried figs , diced.
Salt to taste
Fresh corriander leaves.

METHOD.
Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a pan and sauted the boiled potatoes till crisp.
Remove and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsps mustard oil , when it smokes add onions and saute till translucent.
Add cumin seeds, and ginger garlic.
Cook for few mins before adding the tomatoes, green chilli and all the dry spices.
Add the khus khus paste and diced figs.
Season with salt to taste.
Toss in the potatoes, and about half cup of water.
Reduce the heat and let it simmer covered for about 10 mins.
Adjust the gravy as you wish, I prefer a thick gravy which can be mopped up with a soft roti.
Garnish with corriander leaves.
KHAMEERI ROTI
In a deep bowl take 250 gms flour
Add 1 tbsp instant yeast, 1 tsp powdered sugar , 1 tsp salt.
Mix the dry ingredients and add 1 tbsp of oil. Rub with finger tips.
Add 100 ml of warm milk and 50 ml of warm water.
Knead to a smooth dough adding 1 tbsp oil as you go.
Cover with cling wrap and keep in a warm place for 1 hour.
After one hour, DON’T punch down the risen dough.
Just divide into 6 and roll out thin rotis.
Heat a tawa and put one roti, cook on high heat.
Flip after few mins and baste with flavoured oil, pressing with a spatula as you go.
Sprinkle corriander leaves .
And flip again.
Remove onto a plate.
Serve hot.
# Basting oil..
Take 1/4 cup oil, add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, and 1/4 tsp red chilli powder.