Potato Cubes

No more pressure cooking or long wait or self-control to relish your favorite potato fry; Potato Cubes renders a simple yet tasty and healthy recipe. I am not mentioning this as ‘fry’ though it involves the frying process technically because it takes very less oil and can go well with phulkas in addition to being a classic combination for sambar/ rasam/ curd rice. This had become my favorite potato dish since I ate it in childhood from one of our relatives; my mom had learnt it for my sake and now it is my husband’s favorite too.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-8 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Potatoes – 2

2.    Oil – ½ tbsp.

3.    Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

4.    Curry powder – 2 tbsp

5.     Salt to taste

6.    Asafoetida – 1 pinch

Method:

Step 1: Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes as in the picture. (I collect the chopped potatoes in clean water to retain color and drain them well before adding in the recipe)

Step 2: Heat oil in a non-stick pan preferably and crackle cumin seeds in it.

Step 3: Keep the stove simmered, add asafoetida, curry powder and salt making sure you don’t burn them; let it foam.

Step 4: Add the potato cubes and toss well to coat them with masala.

Step 5: Cover the lid and cook for 4 minutes in simmer.

Step 6: Open the lid and toss it and cook on medium flame for another 2 minutes to get slightly crisp outer edges.

Step 7: Serve with rice or phulkas.

TIPS:

*Make sure you use oil just enough to crackle cumin and foam the dry masala, excess oil will not be absorbed by potato and it sticks to your hand while eating.

Samba Broken Wheat Upma

This had been a regular dish in our home during my school days as my grand-dad had diabetes and heart complaints. Though it was felt as a boring dish back then, now knowing the benefits of samba wheat makes it highly relish-able. This is quite filling as it is high in fiber but low in calories and helps reduce cholesterol and usually counted on for weight-loss. Cook it with vegetables; there you go with a pretty comprehensive yet light dinner.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Samba broken wheat – 2 cups

2.    Water – 4 cups

3.    Salt as per taste

4.    Oil – 1  tbsp

5.     Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

6.    Bengal gram – 1 tbsp

7.     Urad dal – 1 tbsp

8.    Asafoetida – 1 pinch

9.    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

10.            Green chilies – 2

11.   Onion – 1

12. Carrot – 1

13. Bush beans – 8

14. Green peas shelled– ½ cup

15.  Coriander chopped – 2 tbsp 

Method:

Step 1: Clean and chop the vegetables.

Step 2: Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, roast Bengal gram & urad dal, sprinkle asafoetida, throw in curry leaves & green chilies, sauté onion in it until translucent and add other vegetables one by one sauté them for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the samba wheat to the vegetables and roast it while you heat the measured water in parallel.

Step 4: Add enough salt to the kadai and pour in the hot water carefully. Mix and let it cook covered in simmered stove for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Open the lid, stir, adjust salt and ensure if it is cooked well.

Step 6: Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot as is or with curds.

Beetroot Raita

Beetroot is one of the must include veggie that some people avoid because it gives a slight sweetish taste to even the savoury dishes and a dark colour though these actually are its attractions. From such people beetroot raita is a recipe that will score sure likes. This can be prepared the same way you make carrot raita. My mother prepares it raw but my mother-in-law sautés with onion before mixing with curds; so it totally depends on your style and preference.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Beetroot – 1

2.    Curds – 2 cups

3.    Salt to taste

4.    Oil – ¼ tbsp.

5.     Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

6.    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

7.     Green chili – 1

8.    Asafoetida – 1 pinch

Method:

Step 1: Peel and grate the beetroot, chop the green chili.

Step 2: Slightly sauté the beetroot with a pinch of salt. (This is optional, adding it raw will give a nice crunch)

Step 3: Beat curds to a smooth consistency with salt.

Step 4: Prepare tempering by spluttering mustard seeds in heated oil, sprinkling asafoetida into it and roasting curry leaves & chopped green chili in it.

Step 5: Add beetroot and tempering to the beaten curds and mix well (make sure the ingredients are not hot else curd will start to curdle)

Step 6: Serve chilled with steamed rice or pulao.