Simple Spice Vegetarian by Cyrus Todiwala

Author:Cyrus Todiwala
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Octopus
Published: 2020-02-11T00:00:00+00:00

Banana & thrice-cooked potato in yogurt

Dahi may kaela aur teen bar talay huay aloo

A simple preparation of pan-fried banana and potatoes, gently spiced and blended with yogurt. The frying and cooking of bananas or plantains is usually thought of as South Indian, but in several parts of India this practice is also common, and among us Parsees, fried, nicely caramelized plantains were a usual sight on the dining table with daal and rice. It was a cheaper option than putting meat on the table. Serve on its own with hot chapattis or parathas or as an accompaniment.

Serves 4

Potatoes 4 large, peeled and cubed

Extra-virgin rapeseed oil or ghee 4–5 tablespoons

Bananas 4–5 or plantains 2 large, cut into 1cm (½in) slices

Asafoetida¼ teaspoon (optional)

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder ¾ teaspoon

Fresh ginger 5cm (2in) piece, peeled, finely chopped and crushed

Spring onions 2–3, thickly sliced

Thick yogurt 5–6 tablespoons

Water 2 tablespoons

Ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon

Fresh mint a few leaves

Fresh coriander a few sprigs

1 Place the potato cubes in salted boiling water for 6–8 minutes or until cooked. Drain and leave in the colander to allow them to dry out.

2 Heat the oil or ghee in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Do not overheat – heat just until you see a very light haze form on the surface. Cooking a few of the potatoes at a time, sauté until all the sides are nicely browned, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the cubes as they brown and place back in the colander, this time with a bowl underneath to collect any oil or ghee. Repeat the process with more of the cubes.

3 When they are all browned, wipe off any bits of potato sticking to the pan, pour the collected oil or ghee in the bowl back into it and reheat.

4 Once the pan is hot, repeat the process with the banana, letting the pieces caramelize well and flipping them over with a fork when one side is done. Keep an eye on them as they can quickly burn. Lift out of the pan and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to let drain.

5 Reheat any oil or ghee left in the pan, add the asafoetida, if using, and cumin seeds and stir-fry for a minute or until the seeds splutter. Add the chilli powder, ginger and spring onion and sauté until pale, 1–2 minutes, then add the potato and banana and toss for a minute or two.

6 Gently mix the yogurt with the water and the ground cinnamon and pour over the potato mixture.

7 Mix well, add some seasoning and cover the pan. Let simmer for 3–4 minutes until the yogurt has broken down and everything is well cooked. Add the mint and coriander, mix well and serve.

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