Aloo Jeera

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Indian cuisine has some wonderful recipes for potatoes. This potato-and-cumin curry is a dish from the south of the country. The colours, texture and flavour of this dish are delicious. It can be served on its own as a light lunch dish, accompanied with yoghurt, diced cucumber and mint. It can also be served with other vegetables -- or with meat or fish dishes.
Ingredients
2-4 tbsp oil
4 cloves garlic
1 3/4 inch root ginger
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 chillis, deseeded & thinly chopped
500 g potatoes, peeled & diced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 green cardamom pods, seeds only
1 tin tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas
4 tbsp water
1 lemon, juice of
salt & pepper
fresh coriander
 
Directions
1.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and ginger and fry gently for a minute or two until fragrant
2.

Add the shallots or onion and chillies followed by the potatoes and stir-fry all together for about 4 minutes until the shallot has softened
3.

Stir into the saucepan the turmeric, mustard seeds, ground coriander, cumin and cardamom. Cook for about a minute or so until the spices are fragrant
4.

Add in the tomato and the chickpeas
5.

Add four tablespoons of water and season the mixture well with salt and pepper
6.

Cover the saucepan and continue cooking over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender
7.

Add a little extra water if necessary
8.

Add the juice of the lemon and the some of the chopped fresh coriander.
9.

Taste to check that you have a nice spicy, sweet, sour and salty taste
10.

Serve garnished with chopped fresh coriander. Accompany with naan bread and/or poppadoms and a yoghurt and cucumber dish: Mix one to two 125ml cartons of natural yoghurt in a bowl with a hint of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add diced cucumber and chopped mint to taste and serve with the Aloo Jeera.

 
Notes:

Very floury potatoes are not suitable for this recipe as they would just go mushy. Choose a waxy potato. I find Rooster potatoes are a good choice as they soften easily, yet hold their shape relatively well.


If the potatoes are very firm and waxy, you might like to parboil the diced potatoes in salted boiling water for five minutes to slightly soften them. Drain very well before adding to the pan with the spices.
Categories:
Meal   DinnerCuisine   Indian
Dish   Side DishCooking Method   Sauteed
Main Ingredient   VegetablesStyle   Potlucks/Buffet
Prep Time   less than 15 minutesCooking Time   15 to 30 minutes
Features   Dairy-Free, Low-Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat/Gluten-Free




Colette Moran

Member since Nov 2010

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