MASALA POTATO HINDUSTANI !!!!!!!

I always used to make this recipe just using the first masala. But recently I had been to a restaurant where they fried the potatoes marinated with just mint chutney. So I thought why not combine the two and make my own new version! What’s best about this recipe is its very simple, fast, looks good and tastes very good. It’s a big hit when you are having a party. I made these potatoes for my husband’s PhD party four years back of course minus the mint chutney.

When I read Meeta’s Monthly mingle “Bollywood cooking” theme, I thought what better way to showcase them! It has all the masalas that a commercial bollywood movie has:-)

Well that’s the theme right?

Ingredients:
Potatoes – (6-7) small ones, pressure cooked and halved

For the masala:
Oil – 1 tbl spn
Red chilli powder – 1 tspn
Turmeric powder – 1 tspn
Cumin powder – 1½ tspn
Coriander powder – 1½ tspn
Garam masala – 1 tspn
Salt – 1 tspn

Pudina / Mint chutney:
Mint leaves - ½ bunch
Ginger - ½ inch piece

Green chillies - 2
Garlic – 3 flakes
Salt – 1 tspn
Roasted gram – 2 tbl spns

Preparation:
1. Take a bowl and mix in all the ingredients for the masala in oil.
2. Prepare the mint chutney by blending all the ingredients and add 2 tspns yoghurt to this chutney.
3. Take a flat non stick pan, add the masala and spread it on the pan.
4. Now add the potatoes one by one and toss it slowly so as to coat the potatoes with the masala on all sides.
5. Fry in medium flame for about 10 mins on each side. Keep changing sides. You should be able to see a brown crust on all sides.
6. Add the mint chutney on the potatoes directly and toss over to coat well. Fry for 2 to 3 mins.
Garnish with onion rings.

So this is my entry to Meeta's Monthly mingle

BABY RAJMA SHUNDAL

Ingredients:

Rajma (smaller ones) – 1 cup (soaked overnight and pressure cooked)
Coconut- 2 tbpl spns
Coriander leaves- 2 tbl spns
Green Chillies- (4- 5) slit and cut in half
Lemon- ½
Hing- ½ tspn
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Mustard – 1 tspn
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Take 1 tbl spn oil in a pan, add mustard (allow it to splutter), curry leaves, hing, green chillies, rajma, mix well.
2. Add salt, chopped coriander leaves, coconut, and finally squeeze half a lemon.

I used smaller variety of rajma because it cooks really well in pressure cooker (four whistles).

YARD LONG BEANS (ALASANDE BEANS) FRIED WITH FRESH GROUND PEPPER

I don’t get this beans very often at home. But this time I thought let me buy it and see what I can do with it later. I was so tired of making the same old masala curries. I wanted to make something simple, quick yet elegant. Also the reason I used only fresh pepper in this recipe was to get the flavour of only one spice. And after eating this with chapathi, my husband wants to eat this atleast one day in a week. Try this and let me know whether you liked it or not.

Ingredients:

Yard long beans - 1 bunch (chopped in long lengths)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Oil – 3 tbl spns
Mustard - 1tspn
Bengal gram – 1 tspn
Black gram – 1 tspn
Curry leaves – 1 strand
Coconut – 1 tbl spn (optional)
Salt to taste
Turmeric – pinch
Hing - pinch
Fresh ground pepper – 2 tbl spn (it has to be freshly ground and coarse not in complete powder form)

Preparation:

1. Take oil in a big pan; add mustard, hing, bengal gram, black gram, curry leaves, onion, fry well, add turmeric.
2. Add the beans, fry till the raw smell goes and add little water and salt. Cover and cook for 10- 15 minutes checking in between.
3. Once it’s cooked, allow all the water to evaporate. When it’s dry, add the pepper powder and coconut. Fry for 1- 2 mins. This goes very well with chapathis as a dry side dish.