Baby potatoes with seasoned tomato Sauce
ALOO TAMATAR SABJI
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
If you have a garden and can pull up really small marble-sized waxy-red
potatoes, you have the perfect choice for this dish –the delicate skins
almost float off during Scrubbing. If you use larger new potatoes, red
or white, cook them whole and slip off the skins when cool.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
1 ½ pounds (685 g) waxy new Potatoes, no more than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter
3-4 whole cloves
6-8 whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons (10 ml) coriander seeds
1 tea spoon (5 ml) cumin seeds
½ teaspoon (2 ml) fennel seeds
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger root,
Peeled and coarsely chopped
2-3 hot green chilies (or as desired) 3
3 table spoons (45 ml) coarsely chopped
Fresh coriander leaves or parsley
2-3 table spoons (30-60 ml) water
4 table spoons (60 ml) ghee, or 2 table spoons (30 ml) each vegetable oil and melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon (5 ml) black mustard seeds
6-8 curry leaves, preferably fresh
1 cup (240 ml) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (about ¾ pound/340 g)
Scant ½ teaspoon (2 ml) turmeric
1 teaspoon (5 ml) garam masala
½ teaspoon (2 ml) chat masala
½ table spoon (7 ml) salt
1.
Boil the potatoes in their skins just until fork tender. Cool and
peel if necessary and cut into ½ inch (1.5 cm) pieces.
2.
Place the cloves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and
fennel seeds in a mortar or spice mill and grind to a powder. Transfer
to a blender, add the chinger, chilies, 1 table spoon (15 ml) of the
fresh herb and the water, and blend until smooth.
Heat the ghee or
oil in a heavy 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick frying pan over moderately high
heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the black mustard seeds and
fry until they pop and turn gray. (If you are using oil, add the butter
now.) Drop in the curry leaves and in seconds follow with the tomatoes
and turmeric. Reduce the heat and, stirring now and then, cook until
the juices cook off and the ghee separates from the tomatoes. Add the
potatoes, garam masala, chat masala and salt, gently stir, and cook,
covered, until the potatoes are hot. (You may need to add sprinkles of
water if you do not use a nonstick pan) Sprinkle with the remaining
fresh herb before serve