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Today's recipe 'dahi aloo' is a quick and easy side dish that has it's roots in the North Indian cuisine. As the name indicates, the two main ingredients of this recipe are dahi and aloo which are yogurt and potatoes and the rest of the ingredients used are a few spices / spice powders, which are all staples of an Indian kitchen. The dish can be cooked under 15 minutes if one has cooked potatoes handy.
Dahi aloo is prepared in the north Indian states with minor variations. The preparation is along similar lines of a 'kadhi' sans chickpea flour. Using onions and tomatoes in the dish is optional. Garam masala / kasuri methi can be added as well for flavoring if preferred. The cooked potatoes are roughly mashed and used in the recipe. The potatoes are neither completely mashed into a mush nor cooked as in a potato fry recipe. The whisked yogurt along with spices is added and cooked on a low heat setting. The flavors used in the recipe are quite basic ones and this dish is a perfect example of a 'home cooked meal' where simple flavors shine through.
Use yogurt which is slightly on the sour side or add some amchur / lemon juice to the dish for some tanginess. One of the things to keep in mind while cooking dahi aloo is not to curdle the yogurt. Avoid adding yogurt to the hot pot since chances of it curdling are high if done so. Whisking a tsp. of chickpea flour / rice flour / corn starch, along with yogurt also helps. I have added some tips in the recipe directions below, that I use to avoid curdling yogurt when making these kind of dishes.
Ingredients: (yield 2 servings)
2 big potatoes / 4 small ones
2 tsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp minced / grated ginger
1 green chili, finely chopped
A pinch of asafoetida
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup or slightly more water
1 tsp. chickpea flour / besan
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder to taste
1/4 tsp. chili powder or to taste
Minced cilantro to garnish
Directions:
* Peel and cut potatoes into big cubes. Pressure cook them for 2 or 3 whistles adding enough water. Or alternatively, they can be cooked in a pot on stove top or in a microwave until fork tender. Add the potatoes to a colander and drain. Run cold water over them. (I do this to keep everything at room temperature when adding the yogurt to avoid it from curdling.)
* Add ghee / oil to a pan and heat it. Don't bring it to a smoking point. Add cumin seeds and when they start to brown, add chilies and ginger. Saute for 30 to 40 seconds and add asafoetida powder. Stir well once and turn off the stove.
* Transfer the pan to another burner which is not hot or place on a trivet and add the cold, drained potatoes and 1/4 cup water to it. It is to make sure that the pan is not hot while adding the yogurt to it.
* Whisk yogurt, remaining water and chickpea flour together. (I use a blender for a homogeneous mixture.)
* Now add yogurt mixture, salt, turmeric, coriander powder to the pan. Stir well and taste. Next add chili powder as needed.
* Turn on the heat and put the pan on stove. Cook on low flame, stirring quite often. If the heat used to cook is high, the yogurt mixture starts to curdle. Cook until the mixture slightly thickens, about 10 - 12 minutes. Taste and cook longer if needed. Also note that the mixture thickens slightly after cooling.
* Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rotis / pooris / rice.
This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check what other marathoners are cooking, clicking at the link.
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This recipe had been on my to do list since I noticed it at Pavani's space and am glad that I decided to try it. It was so good that even my coconut hating husband loved it and my mother who watched it over our video chaat found it very appetizing just by the looks of it.
It is not the kind of sambhar where a handful of peanuts are thrown in but is an interesting variation with a peanut base. This delicious sambhar doesn't use any lentils or any kind of beans and makes a flavorful and spicy side dish. The original recipe had sauteed onion, tomato and garlic which I omitted and added some vegetables. One can choose to go either way or one can add vegetables on hand. I also reduced the cumin seeds' quantity and added a little sweetener.
Ingredients:
For the paste:
1/4 cup peanuts
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/8 tsp. fenugreek seeds
3 dried red chillies
1/4 cup dry coconut, grated
For tempering:
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida powder
For sambhar:
1 cup chopped, mixed vegetables *
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. thick tamarind puree or to taste
1/4 tsp. jaggery / sugar (optional)
* I used peeled and diced carrots and chopped beans. The original recipe had sauteed onion and tomato instead.
Directions:
* Cook the vegetables adding enough water in a microwave, pressure cooker or in a pan on stove top. Keep them aside.
* Dry roast peanuts on low flame, continuously stirring for 3 - 4 minutes. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chillies next and toast until fragrant and the seeds start to change a shade darker. Add coconut and stir once. Turn off the stove and let the ingredients cool. Grind the ingredients to a smooth paste adding enough water.
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves, turmeric, asafoetida and stir. Immediately add the cooked vegetables along with water used to cook them, the peanut paste, salt, tamarind and sweetener if using. Add water to reach the desired consistency like a sambhar / stew. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Simmer the sambhar for 7 to 8 minutes and serve hot with rice.
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Though this gojju may not come across as a visually appealing one, I assure you that this is one tongue tickling dish, literally. Gojju, a spicy stew from Karnataka is a melange of balanced flavors, appearing anywhere from a simple home cooked meal to in menus prepared for large gatherings. The spicy, sweet and sour flavors are perfectly balanced in a well prepared gojju. The gojju can be prepared in no time if you have gojju pudi handy, the one that can be prepared well in advance. And below are links for some of the popular variations of gojjus from the state.
Pineapple gojju
Hagalakayi gojju
Drakshi gojju
Hagalakayi gojju (Version 2)
Ingredients for gojju pudi:
2 tbsp. peanuts
1 tbsp. chanadal / split chickpeas
1 tbsp. uraddal / split black gram
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
A pinch of methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds
10 red chillies *
2 - 4 tbsp. dry coconut (copra), shredded
* A combination of spicy and Byadagi chillies can be used. The latter adds a vibrant color to the dish without being overtly spicy.
Preparing gojju Pudi:
* Add peanuts, chanadal
and uraddal to a sauté pan and fry until they start to turn reddish.
* Add coriander seeds, sesame seeds, red chillies and methi seeds to the pan and saute on low flame until coriander seeds
turn a few shades darker.
* Cool all the ingredients and grind along with coconut into a
fine powder.
* Store it in an airtight container and use when needed.
Ingredients for gojju:
1 - 2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp chana dal / split chickpeas
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
10 to 12 okra, ends removed and cut into thin slices
A pinch of asafoetida powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
6 tbsp. gojju pudi
6 tbsp. tamarind juice (A big lemon sized tamarind soaked in water and pulp squeezed.)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. jaggery powder or according to taste
2 cups water
Preparing Gojju:
* Heat oil in a kadai or a pan and add chana dal and mustard seeds. When the dal start to turn reddish, add curry leaves and okra slices. Fry on medium flame until okra turns crisp and then add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
* Add gojju powder, tamarind juice,
jaggery, salt and water to the pan. Cook until the gojju thickens and comes to a rolling boil. Check the
flavors once midway and adjust the seasonings, if any needed.
* Serve with rice / rotis.
This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Regional Cuisine - Karnataka'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.
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