Aloo Bajji's/ Potato Fritters

I am sure every kid will love it..... even  lot of elders too, except when they are watching their weight or trying to look for healthy stuff. I can be sure that once in a while it is ok to have some fun stuff. Especially food like bajjis. I remember that one of my husband's uncle make awesome potato bajji's. Although these are not that range.. but are definitely worth and try and easy and simple to use. When there's a party or somebody coming over for chai.... these are best company. So no more talking only reciping...... haha

Ingredients

Potato - Peeled and chopped into thin slices ( you can use a mandolin to do that, but I find it easier and thinner when done with hand and knife :) )

Besan (Chick pea flour)

Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Ajwain/Jeera - little bit

Water  - to mix the batter

Oil to deep fry

Sooji (Semolina ) - 1-2 spoons (this brings the crispy nature of fritters)

Method of preparation

Mix besan, red chilli powder, salt and little jeera (I used jeera powder). Add water to it and mix it like a paste (the consistency should be little thin than the paste so that it sticks to the potato pieces when dipped but not too thick that it coats like a thick layer).

Dip the potato pieces in the besan mixture made above. make sure there is batter on both sides of the potato  and put it in the hot oil. 

Deep fry till it is lightly golden and drain it on a paper tissue. Serve hot with any sauce or ketchup. Enjoy !!!

Aloo broccoli curry

Ingredients
Potatos - 3 potatos
Broccoli - 2 cup
Tomato - 1/2 chopped
Oil - 2 spoons (Use olive oil for healthy reasons)
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Chana dal - 2 spoons
Turmeric - 1/4 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 spoon (depending on the spice level of yours and your powder)
Salt - 1 spoon

Method of preparation
Take a kadai and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add jeera and chana dal after it. Add the chopped potato and broccoli to it. cover and cook for 5 minutes. Broccoli and potatos both cook fast so check in between so that they do not stick to the pan. When the potatos and broccoli are  almost done add rest of the ingredients. Add dhania powder also (optional). Your simple curry is ready to serve.

Dum Aloo (with no Onion or Garlic)

This curry is made by my co-sister on Monday and the credit totally goes to her. The taste was awesome and made in few minutes only. People who love tomatos and potatos will very well love this curry. Another nice thing about this curry is that, it does not have any big masala's and no onion or garlic to it. I loved both parts of it because, I can make this curry on a festival day and offer it to god without compromising on the favor and taste. So god get to have this yummy food too ..... cool isn't it. I am so tempted to add it to blog. OK...No more talking... here goes the recipe

Ingredients
Potatos - 5
Tomatos - 3 - chopped any size
Coriander powder
Oil
Mustard seeds
Jeera (Cumin seeds)
Turmeric
Red chilli powder
Salt

Method of preparation
1)Boil the potatos and chop it into big chunks. Alternatively you can use the baby potatos and use fork to prick it after removing the top layer of them. (I used microwave to boil potatos than traditional way, saved me time/vessel cleaning/stove time). :).
2) Take a kadai on stove top and add little oil to it. Now add mustard seeds (after oil is heated). After mustard seeds splutter add jeera (cumin seeds) to it. Add chopped tomatos and let it cook thoroughly. Mix the tomato in between.
3) Add turmeric, salt and red chilli powder to the above. After tomato is cooked properly, allow it to cool and then grind the mixture in a blender.
4) Take kadai (either same cleaned one or different one) and very little oil (may be 1-2 spoons) and add the tomato paste to it. Add some water to it and let it cook until the mixture thickens a little bit. Now add the boiled potatos to it.
5) cover and cook for 5 mintues or some time until the potatos have the gravy taste to it. Turn off stove and transfer the curry in serving bowl. Garnish with Coriander and it is ready to be served with either chapati or rice. Enjoy!!

Fried Rice with small difference

For this month Lalitha puja potluck I did this recipe. Looks like it came out good. So wanted to share what I did.

Ingredients
Onions
Potatos
Green beans
Green peas
Carrots
Rice
Biryani-pulav masala
Salt to taste
Cashews
Cardamoms - 2-3 in no.
Cloves - 4-5 in no.
Bay leaves - couple
Cinnamon sticks - couple
Oil
Water
For color:
1 or 2 spoons of milk
pinch of cooking color (yellow of orange)


Pre-preparation
Partly deep fry all the veggies except peas. Vegetables should be partly fried (meaning partly cooked) after frying in the oil. Alternatively, you can just brush the oil over veggies and heat them in oven until they are half cooked.


Cook rice with the consistency of water you do to make it seperate. For example if you are using basmati rice the ratio of rice and water should not exceed 1:1and1/2. It can be 1:1 depending on which cooker you use. I added one spoon of cooking oil, Salt, and green peas to it. Cover it and cook it until the rice is totally done. After the rice is done or when it is almost done, add milk which has the color dissolved lightly. Cover it for another minute or so. This gives the hotel touch of color to some part of served rice.

Method of preparation
Take a kadai and add oil to it. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom to it. Add onions and cashews to it and fry until onions are translucent. Now add all the veggies. Add salt and biryani-pulav masala to it. Remember that you added salt already to the rice so make sure you are not adding much salt here. Add cooked rice from step 2 of pre-preparation to it and mix it lightly. Make sure you are not breaking the rice or over stirring. Serve it by garnishing with fried cashews, onions and coriander as you desire.

Aloo Gobi Curry

Ingredients
Aloo
Gobi florets
Onion, chopped into big pieces - 1 or 2
Tomato - 1 or 2
ginger garlic crushed/paste - 1/2 table spoon
Oil - 4-5 table spoons
Red chilli powder - add it according to your taste
Garam Masala - 1 table spoon
Kasoori Methi - a pinch
Coriander powder (optional) - 1/2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Kothimeeru (Coriander) to sprinkle at last.

Method of preparation
1. Take a vessel, add oil to it. Let it heat up and add cumin seeds to it. Add chopped onions, crushed ginger garlic or paste and let it fry for a minute or until onions turn golden brown.

2. Add Aloo and Gobi to it with pinch of turmeric, red chilli powder, Garam masala and let it stand for 5 minutes covered. Try to mix in between so that the curry do not stick to the pot/vessel. If you feel it starts sticking then add 1/2 cup of water to it.

3. Add chopped Tomato's, Salt, kasoori methi, coriander powder and mix well. Add little water and let it stand for some more time until all veggies are cooked.

4. Add Chopped and washed Coriander leaves to the curry and serve hot either with roti or rice.

Aloo Jeera

Aloo Jeera

Ingredients
Potatos - 1/2 pound
Oil - 4 spoons
Jeera(Cumin Seeds) - 2tablespoons
Ginger - 1/2inch
Garlic - 4 cloves
Turmeric - 1 table spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 table spoon
Tomato - 1
Garam masala - 1 table spoon
Dhania Powder (Coriander Powder) - 1 table spoon
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation
Boil potatos with water. Peel and dice them. Chop onions, garlic, ginger, coriander and the tomato.

Heat oil and sauté jeera until they crackle. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until golden. Add Garam Masala, Dhania powder, Salt and stir. Then add the potatoes. Sprinkle turmeric and chilli powder and stir. Add tomato and simmer the flame. Cook covered for 5 minutes and the Aloo Jeera is ready.

Pretty simple isn't it ......

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Max.

Category: Main Coarse (Dry Curries)