Saturday, January 31, 2009

Garlic Pickle -- Grandma's recipe

Our newest and most famous resident called us weather wimps.
"My children's school was cancelled today" he said
"Because of what? Some ice?" pause pause well you know his style.
"We're going to have to apply some flinty Chicago toughness to this town"
"I'm saying that when it comes to the weather, folks in Washington don't seem to be able to handle things"
He is the latest but not the last parent to join in the snow and school closing debate that is a constant every winter season here. The numerous letters to the editor clearly showed that my fellow Washingtonians did not take kindly the dissing from the prez. In effect the kids were off from school for 3 days (Monday being a planned day off) with a 2 hour delayed opening on Thursday. I have no arguments for having closed on Wednesday, the roads were icy, the side walks were slippery but closing school on Tuesday was a bit much, it was soft snow and the roads were clear till late in the evening when it started to sleet. No kid is complaining though, they look forward to some sledding and snow boarding with all the joy they muster for the unplanned holiday, it is a winter ritual they have come to expect and enjoy like we parents seem to take delight in second guessing the school authorities. Anyway I was glad to have them out of my hair and in school.

Garlic pickle was just the perfect recipe for the unplanned long holiday. I had a few extra hands to peel the garlic. We peeled for a little over half an hour before they got tired and bored. In that time we had managed to peel about 2 cups of garlic just enough for what I had in mind. The smaller the pods the better, using the pre peeled cloves that you get in the jars (they are huge cloves) are not a great idea for this pickle. Unusually the garlic that I bought recently had smaller cloves. I am a pickle addict running through a jar of pickle every 2 weeks, so making pickle does not need any extra incentives. I know binging on pickle does not do me any good but with home made I can at the least control the amount of salt, oil and chili powder that goes into the pickle.


Photobucket


I had a roughly written recipe from grandmom from a long while back and had to call up my mom to check with her mom and call me back with the exact cooking time and measurements. I made it once before without the exact measurements and I was a little unhappy with the results so did not want that to happen again. The time taken to make this pickle is half an hour tops so there is no reason not to try it out, if you like garlic that is.


Photobucket
chapti with garlic pickle, sookhi aloo gobi and Mandira's tencha



Garlic Pickle
1. 2 Cups of peeled small sized garlic cloves (I had a mixture of small and maybe medium sized ones)
2. 1/3 Cup of lemon juice (I used 1/2 cup)
3. 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
4. 1 tsp mustard seeds
5. 1/4 tsp asfoetida
6. 10 dried long red chilies
7. 1/4 cup sesame oil
8. 1 1/2 tsp sugar
9. 1/2 tbsp salt (or as required)

Method
1. Dry roast the fenugreek,mustard,asfoetida and red chilies one by one and make a powder (I used the microwave for heating)
2. Steam cook the garlic cloves for exactly 4 minutes (cooking time should not be any more, this is very important according to grandma) I used the idli steamer to steam. If there are droplets of water on the cloves pat dry and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, or a wide mouthed pan and when hot add a few mustard seeds
3. Now add the garlic and fry for a 3-4 minutes in the hot oil
4. Add the lemon juice and let it come to a boil.
5. Now add the sugar and salt and let it continue to cook till the lemon juice is reduced to third of the volume
6. Now add the red chili powder and mix and cook for 3-4 minutes
7. Add a bit more oil if required and let it heat through for a couple more minutes.

Let cool and transfer to a clean jar. Stays fresh for a couple of weeks and longer in the refrigerator.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Rajma, pressure cooker method (Red Kidney Beans Curry)

Yesterday, two items in two different sections of our newspaper caught my eye, one was in the Business section and the other in the Style Section on the page for kids - Kids Post.

The headline from the former read "Silicon Valley Wants to Stay On the Road to Prosperity" - discussing how lack of investment in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM being the industry jargon) is putting the US at a competitive disadvantage compared to countries like India and China. While the heading from the Kids Post read "Homework Debate -Kids Parents and Teachers Disagree on How Much is too Much" - some parents argue how an hour of homework for a elementary school is considered too much. There in lies the paradox.

Parents and for that matter Kids in India (I know that for a fact) and I bet in China too have no choice about the amount of homework the kids get. In my opinion, the quality of work DD brings home from school is far higher than what I took home. More than what is brought as homework the discipline and planning that is required to get the work done is something that has to be developed early in life and will come very handy when the same kids go to college and decide if STEM will be their thing or something else. Seeing these two articles in the same newspaper got me thinking thats all.

I first heard of Rajma pretty late when I started working on my first job, yup! never heard the word till then. This girl a co-worker announced that she brought Rajma for lunch and a bunch of oohs and aahs followed her. I was curious enough to follow them into the lunch room and get a table close enough to take a peek into her lunch. From the looks of it the curry was worth all the oohs and aahs it got. I did not know the girl well enough to ask for a taste, which I regret it to this day. I knew red kidney beans alright but the dish that goes by the name Rajma was what I had not known. Well it took another 5 years before I actually tasted it. Rajma - the word describes the dish as well as the beans correct? I utilize the pressure cooker to reduce the time it takes to cook the dish.


Photobucket



Rajma
Ingredients
1. 1 Cup of Red Kidney Beans soaked overnight (DO NOT precook the beans)
2. 1/2 Onion chopped fine
3. 1-2 tomatoes chopped fine or run through a food processor
4. 2 tsp grated ginger
5. 6-7 garlic pods chopped
6. 4 green chilies slit
7. 2 tsp of chicken masala (you can use any masala of choice)
8. 1 tsp each of red chili powder and coriander powder
9. 1/2 tsp cumin powder
10. 1/2 tbsp aamchur powder
11. seasonings - curry leaves and mustard seeds
12. 1-2 tsp of oil
13. salt to taste
14. chopped coriander leaves a handful


Method
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves when the mustard starts to pop add the onions, garlic and ginger and saute till the onions start to turn translucent.
2. Now add the powders (aamchur, chili, cumin and coriander powder) mix well and add the chopped tomatoes.
3. Wash the soaked beans well in 2-3 changes of water and add to the onion tomato mixture.
4. Now add 2 cups of water, close the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles, let it cool.
5. Now add the salt and coriander leaves and let it cook for a few more minutes or till the required consistency is reached.


Rajma is traditionally served over rice but we like to eat them with chapatis.
This will be my entry to My Legume Love Affair Seventh Helping hosted by Srivalli an event started by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Baking Bread!

I am happy to report that I am sticking with my New Year's resolution so far. I did go to the grocery store but studiously walked past the bread aisle. The enthusiasm with which the kids have relished fresh baked bread makes me all the more determined to stick to this. I am not exactly sure what scared me most, the kneading gave me a bit of worry and also the part about the dough having to rise. When I finally picked up courage to go through with it, almost anti climatically nothing went wrong. The dough rose, the bread baked fine and the house smelled divine.


Photobucket
No knead bread.


I first started with the New York Times article of the famous No Knead bread. It was Jaden's No Knead Bread Recipe: so easy a 4-yr old can make it! that finally convinced me that I have nothing to fear. I did not have a covered pot like the recipe called for but my 8" x 4" loaf pan worked just fine. I could not find bread flour so picked up a bag of unbleached whole wheat flour which worked fine as well. I mixed up the flour, water the previous night and let the yeast do its thing. Baked the bread the next day, it had a very crunchy crust probably because it was left uncovered. Not a small piece got tossed so this should be called a success right?

So the next recipe I picked was Anita's Whole Wheat Bread, I halved here recipe (left out the Italian seasoning) and still got a lot of bread. I kneaded the bread a bit but not a whole lot. I was a little impatient after I had transferred them to the pans and did not wait for it to rise so got a flat top. But there was nothing to complain about in the taste department. I am finally sold on the idea of baking bread at home and eating it too.

Photobucket
Whole Wheat Bread

Bread baking now that I have done does not seem half as hard as I had imagined it to be, now with a doable method it seems all the more certain I will stick to it. Mix the flour and the liquids in the morning and leave it to rise till the evening, punch it down and knead it as much as possible, transfer them to the pans and cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise for a couple more hours. Then around 8:00PM the bread is ready to be baked and left to cool overnight for some fresh bread the next morning. I was in a hurry to pull of the plastic wrap before I it was time to bake so the top got a bit dry and hence a flat top when baked.

The recipe I present here is from the Arnold's Whole Wheat flour bag. It was a recipe for Walnut bread, I left the brown sugar and walnuts out and substituted with some raw sugar instead.


Photobucket




Ingredients
  • 3 Cups Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • 1 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1 tbsp canola oil

  • 1 1/2 tsp yeast

  • 2 Cups lukewarm water (start with 1 cup and then slowly add the rest of the water

  • Method
  • Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl add the water to make a slightly stick blob

  • Cover with cling wrap which has been greased. Set it to rest for 4-6 hours in a warm place to rise

  • Punch the dough down and knead it for about 5-10 minutes if possible more

  • Shape the bread and put them in a greased(I used oil spray) loaf pan,cover with a plastic cling wrap and let it rise for about 2 hours

  • Preheat oven to 375F and bake for 35 minutes

  • Remove from pan and let it completely cool before slicing


  • Ready to be eaten with butter, jam, whipped cream cheese, tomato pickle.


    I am now may be ready to graduate to some more sweet and savory breads.

    Tuesday, January 20, 2009

    The Presidential Party


    Photobucket
    It all started here! I mean for this day to be possible. Sacrifices of so many civil rights leaders.

    Yes we did! After much back and forth we finally made the decision to make a trip downtown to watch the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. I am glad we did but I am not really sure I would do it again after the fact. The crowd numbered close to a couple of million. We did not have tickets and in a way glad we did not, it negated us having to stay in long lines which were the major choke point for a lot of folks.

    Photobucket
    Roads jammed!

    We live in the suburbs well connected to the city by public transportation and decided to make maximum use of it, not that we had much of a choice anyway. We took the bus to the metro station after being surprised that the park and ride lot still had parking spaces around 8:00AM. The seat we sat in was dedicated to Rosa Parks - symbolism!! The metro station was not as crowded as we expected it to be. The train skipped the station we were planning to get off though a bit upset - the station was closed because a passenger fell onto the tracks, luckily she was saved by a transit worker from Texas. Got off at station further down were there were plenty of buses plying to near the mall. The shuttle buses took us to the thick of things. We walked briskly to an open federal building for a pee break. There were huge lines here for security checks before they'd let us into the bathroom. So by the time we got back and got in line the roads leading to the mall area were packed, but we did make it close to the Veteran's Memorial and parked ourselves close to one of the jumbo trons.


    Photobucket
    Made it!


    It was truly a unique sensation to be among a million or more taking in the historic events. The emotions and joys reflected in the faces of the folks who had come out was truly special. They were loud shouts of Obama Obama whenever he came in view. I felt a slight tinge of disappointment of what could have been when I caught a glimpse of Hillary and Bill Clinton followed by a huge applause from the crowd. I have never seen that many people in one place. It was chilly, cold and windy but millions were there braving it all in the one of our most favorite spots in the mall. Several times while making our way through the crowd we were glad we had not dragged the kids along. DD who was very keen on coming was a little under the weather and when we told that there was absolutely no chance we would catch a glimpse of the new president she quickly agreed to stay at her friends house. We might have several other occasions to catch a glimpse of him living as we do in the shadow of the nation's capital. Though the crowd was orderly and everyone was courteous and concerned it would have been difficult to drag them along and walk briskly. I was truly in awe of those who brought their kids along.


    Photobucket
    Taking it in.


    The huge crowd fell silent when the oath was administered and when the new President started delivering his address. The speech was cautious and measured about the progress that can be made and a request for patience was made. We had planned to make it back once the oath and speech were done. We walked briskly to the nearest metro station and were lucky to get into the train without much of a wait. A few minutes here and there we would have part of the crowd that was frustrated with the delays at the station. We made it back home in time for the parade. As the bus was nearing our park and ride lot it started to stall and was about to stop. "Yes we can" rang out "Get down and Push" rang out much to the amusement of those on the bus. Get used to it we will be hearing a lot more "Yes we can"s. Luckily the bus started and we made it to our destination.

    The new president has a lot on his shoulders and expectations are through the roof. Let us Wish him All the Best, not just for his sake but all our sakes.

    I am ofcourse proud of my city which did it all in style. Thanks goes out to the numerous city, federal workers and volunteers who made it all possible.

    Saturday, January 17, 2009

    Seeni Sambal (Sweet and Spicy Onion Relish)

    The Indian sub continent is a food lovers paradise for a reason. The availability and usage of aromatic spices, fresh ingredients and cooking methods make it easy to get addicted to Indian food and stay that way. It is never easy to pin down one single way of cooking a dish, the variations to the same dish are sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle. The result is not just regional cuisines but micro regional cuisines.

    Though the spices used are predominantly the same the way they are cooked and combined can be very different. So lets take South Indian or more specifically Tamil Nadu cuisine and SriLankan/Tamilian cuisine. Though the spices and the ingredients used are more or less the same but the resulting dishes taste very different.

    So if you combine onions, tamarind, chilli powder, salt and a bit of sugar I would call it puli kuzhambu but my Srilankan friends call it Sambal. Yes one is watery and the other is dry amd I am probably over simplifying it but the fact remains. Sambal is a condiment made primarily with chilis and used as a condiment to spice up a dish.


    Photobucket



    Seeni sambol is slightly sweet because of the caramelized onions and the added sugar. The amount of chili powder can be adjusted to make it as spicy as you want.
    The onions can be deep fried and vinegar used in place of the tamarind. It is a perfect side for rice, idli,dosai or chapathi. The recipe that my friend gave had onions,sugar,chili powder,salt and sugar. I followed the recipe from the Hindu newspaper website here. It is also has a few other Sri Lankan recipes so if you interested.


    Photobucket
    Seeni Sambal with Avacado parathas




    Ingredients
  • 3 Large red onions sliced

  • 4-5 garlic sliced

  • small piece of ginger grated

  • curry leaves a few

  • 1/2 tbsp chili powder

  • 2-3 tsp jaggery

  • 1 tbsp tamarind extract(I used a small lime sized ball with minimum water to extract the pulp

  • 3 tsp oil

  • salt as needed


  • Method
  • Heat oil in a pan, add the curry leaves, onions, ginger and garlic and saute till the onion starts to get brown

  • Add the chili powder,salt,tamarind extract and continue to cook on low heattill the onion comes together 20-25 minutes

  • add the jaggery at the end when your required consistency has reached

  • continue to cook for a few more minutes till the sugar is incorporated well


  • The condiment can stay for atleast a week and probably more if refrigerated.



    We had them with Avacado parathas, the addition of avacado to the dough made it super soft and fluffy. The idea for which came from Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes. I used wheat flour, couple of avacados mashed, salt and a tsp of oil.

    Also check out Indira's version.

    Wednesday, January 14, 2009

    Pongal O Pongal with Sweet and Savory Pongal

    Wishing you all a very Happy Pongal!

    Pongal, the harvest festival is one of the most important festivals of the Kongu people. Predominantly an agriculture based society, pongal is celebrated to offer thanks to the sun, land, animals and the equipment in the farm that are essential for their livelihood. Today being "Surya Pongal" (Surya meaning Sun) offering is made to the Sun God. On the next day which is "Mattu Pongal", literally translated to Cow Pongal is celebrated in honor of the animals which are an essential part of any farm.

    The name 'pongal' refers to the action of the water 'boiling over' the pot when the rice is cooking. Surya Pongal is usually done in the yard facing the east in the early hours of the morning when the sun is rising. The pot is set on a stove like arrangement made with three large stones and heated with firewood.

    I have the perfect spot, a east facing yard for doing just such a pongal but in this cold weather chicken to brave the elements and cook outside so used the pressure cooker instead. Cook the rice/dal combo and rice is ready for both the sweet and
    savory Pongal. I use half the rice for the sweet pongal and half for the savory pongal.




    Photobucket
    sweet pongal, savory pongal and coconut chutney



    Pongal
    Ingredients
    1. 1 Cup Rice (I used jeeraga samba rice, any raw rice will do)
    2. 3/4 cup split moong dal (roasted)
    3. 2 1/2 cups of water
    4. 1 cup milk
    5. (Pressure)Cook the rice and dal with the water and milk till soft.

    Sweet Pongal
    1. 1/4 cup jaggery
    2. 1 tbsp ghee
    3. 2-3 tbsp cashews and raisins
    4. 1 cup milk
    5. 1-2 cardamom pods crushed
    6. 1/2 tbsp sugar crystals (kalkandu)

    Method
    1. Set a heavy bottomed pan on the stove with a very low flame, add half of the cooked rice/dal combo and add the milk to it.
    2. Add the jaggery and mix.
    3. Roast the cashews and rasins in a bit of ghee.
    4. Add the ghee and cardamom and mix.
    5. once the milk is absorbed add the roasted cashews,raisins and sugar crystals.
    6. The consistency should be creamy.

    Ven Pongal (Savory Pongal)
    1. 1 -2 tsp pepper corns
    2. 1 tsp cumin seeds
    3. curry leaves
    4. 2 tsp of grated ginger
    5. 2 tsp ghee
    6. 2 tsp broken cashews

    Method
    1. Coarsely ground the pepper and cumin.
    2. Heat a small pan and add ghee.
    3. add the curry leaves and the pepper cumin powder.
    4. add the grated ginger and saute for a minute.
    5. add it to the cooked rice/dal combo along with the required amount of salt.
    6. add roasted cashews and mix well.
    7. Serve with coconut chutney.


    We enjoy the sweet and savory after making an offering to God.

    Sunday, January 11, 2009

    Sorghum Dosai (Vellai Cholam Dosai)

    I rarely ever make New Years resolution for fear of breaking them before the first week is out. But this year I made one, to avoid buying bread and bake my own. I set out to make bread and started with the no knead bread and then to other bread. I have been happy with results so far. I have not bought bread so far in 2009. My bread making trial in detail in a future post. While bread baking requires a lot of effort from my part, dosai making is almost effortless.

    Sorghum (called Jowar in Hindi) is a grain common in the Kongu region of TamilNadu used mainly for fodder but it is a delicious fodder for humans as well. Chola Paniyaram is one delicious dish that can be made with sorghum. If paniyaram is made and enjoyed can dosai be far behind? The paniyaram batter required the addition of rice but the dosai batter does not require the addition of rice. My mom specifically asked me to point out that the addition of rice is not required for both the paniyaram and the dosai. The sorghum in this recipe can be substituted with any millet. The batter does not require any fermentation and dosai can be made almost immediately. The addition of onions, red chilies, cumin make this a savory delight.


    Photobucket
    Chola dosai with coriander chutney


    Chola Dosai (Sorghum Dosai)
    Ingredients
    1. 1 cup of cholam
    2. 1/4 cup of urad dal
    3. Soak overnight
    4. 1/2 red onion
    5. 3 red chilies
    6. 1 tsp cumin seeds
    7. a small piece of asfoetida
    8. few curry leaves
    9. salt to taste

    Method
    1. Blend the cholam and urad dal and when half done add the rest of the ingredients, add salt remove to a vessel. Add enough so the consistency is that of pancake batter
    2. Head a griddle and pour a laddle of batter on to the hot surface
    3. Spread the batter around in a circular motion
    4. Spray oil on the sides, when one side is cooked flip and cook on the other side
    5. Serve with chutney of choice


    I had a packet of lotus stem laying around in the freezer for a while. This recipe on Alka's Sindhi Rasoi meant I had no more excuses for giving this a try and putting the lotus stems to good use. The simple ingredient list for the Bhee Patata/Lotus Stem Potato curry meant I could make them almost the very next day. I had soaked Black chana the previous so used those instead of the green peas.


    Photobucket

    Wednesday, January 7, 2009

    Kollu Paruppu Podi (Horse gram Urad dal Spice Powder) - Chutney Powder - 1

    Incorporating Kollu (horse gram) in several different recipes is something I try to do every chance I get. I rarely ever make spice powders (or idli podis), bring them from back home made by mom or MIL. My stash ran out and having no idli podi is like a handicap. My mom makes this podi where she adds horse gram, but according to her horse gram is added only when it is made for eating with rice and not idli or dosai. I use them interchangeably and can't tell the difference. If you are making the podi for rice, powder it fine and if using for idlis make it a bit coarse.

    For Idli podis urad dal is the one predominantly used whereas for rice a combination of urad, toor and horse gram can be used. But the distinction actually does not matter so. The proportion is one that I used for the podi but there are no fast rules really so go ahead and experiement. You would be hard pressed to find a Kongu home without a bottle of, some variation of this paruppu podi handy.

    Photobucket

    What to do you do if you have left over rice? It is not very popular when they are reheated and served again. But made into Podi rice or seasoned rice they disappear quickly. This paruppu podi can be used to make podi rice as well.

    Photobucket


    Kollu Paruppu Podi
    Ingredients
    1. 3/4 Cup Split Urad dal
    2. 1/4 Cup Horse gram
    3. 1/2 Cup Red Chilies (adjust to taste)
    4. 10 - 15 Curry leaves
    5. a tiny piece of asfoetida
    6. Salt to taste 3 tsp(start with 2 tsp and adjust if more is needed after powdering

    Method
    1. In a kadai dry roast the urad dal till it starts to turn a slight brown. Set aside
    2. roast the horse gram till it starts to pop (take care not to make them black
    3. gently toast the asfoetida
    4. heat the curry leaves for a minute or two in the microwave till crisp
    5. heat the chilies in the microwave for 2 minutes or roast them in the kadai
    6. Add salt
    7. Combine and powder, the texture can be be fine or coarse as per preference.

    Photobucket

    Podi Rice
    1. 1 1/2 Cups day old rice
    2. 1/2 Red onion chopped
    3. 1/2 tbsp channa dal
    4. seasoning: mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves
    5. 1 tbsp Paruppu Podi (or sambhar powder + salt)
    6. 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
    Method
    1. In a flat bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the channa dal, when it starts to brown add the seasoning items. when mustard starts to pop
    2. Add the onion and saute till translucent.
    3. Now break the rice with your fingers and add to the onions
    4. Sprinkle the paruppu podi and mix well with the rice.
    5. Add more sesame oil if too dry.

    Saturday, January 3, 2009

    Pan Roasted Potatoes to rival French Fries

    One of the email groups I belong to was debating about making snacks with Ragi(Finger Milet). One of the members had only heard of ragi dosai and had never seen or tasted ragi vadais, few others were shocked that he had not heard of ragai vadai because it is a popular snack in the Kongu region. Finally an uneasy truce arose whereby it was decided that people who live on one side of the river (Cauvery) were familiar with the snack while those on the other side of the river have not heard of it. Well anyway I live on the same side of the river and had not tasted the snack till I came over here and tasted it at a friend's house. I also had them at our friend's house on our recent visit to Chicago. They are the most tasty, crunchy snack and difficult to stop eating once started. They can even pass off as health snack don't you think since they are made from the grain of the moment Ragi. I will be making this snack soon! soon! I found a pack of Ragi Murkku at the Indian store and they tasted really great - another guilt free snack :)

    The same conversation also answered another question, the difference between vadai and pakoda. Both are made, kind of the same way with ground lentils or flour mixed with onions, green chilies and deep fried. The way to tell them apart is from how the dough is prepared. The deep friend snack is called a "Vadai" only when the dough is made by grinding a lentil or a cereal and those made with flour is either called pakoda or bonda. Makes sense.

    Now on to the recipe,
    These pan roasted potatoes are a big hit with the kids. So much so they were considered tastier than the McDonald's fries. This is probably one of those rare occasions I had any sort of victory against mighty McD! Felt good. The reward is to make these any chance I get. They are great side for any rice dish and come in handy during any meal. Finally after many trials and errors arrived on Russet potatoes as the best kind of potatoes for making pan fried potatoes. For those that are not familiar with Russet potatoes, any potato with a thick skin works.


    Photobucket


    Pan Roasted Potatoes
    Serves : 4-5

    Ingredients
    1. 2 Russet Potatoes (or any large sized potatoes)
    2. 3/4 tbsp sambhar powder (or a combination of red chili,coriander and cumin powder)

    3. seasonings: cumin 1/4 tsp, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and a few curry leaves)
    4. 2 tsp turmeric powder
    5. 1/2 tbsp oil
    6. salt to taste

    Method
    1. Scrape the skin of the potato, cut in half, make thin slices lengthwise and then cut across into small pieces
    2. Heat oil in a wok and heat half the oil and add the seasonings, when the mustard pops add the potatoes.
    3. saute for a few minutes and add the turmeric powder continue to saute.
    4. Close the lid and let the potatoes get almost cooked.
    5. Now add the sambhar powder and mix.
    6. Add the remaining oil and continue to saute till the desired crunchiness is reached.


    Goes well with pretty much anything. It tastes even better the next day after a few minutes in the microwave.

    This will be an entry to Food in Colors - FIC Yellow an event started by sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers.