Alu pyaaz ki rase waali sabzi (potatoes and onion curry)

Contrary to popular belief, Indian villages don't usually have naan, tikkas, biryani at dinners. In central India, from where I am, family meals are composed of quite plain and thin daal, slow-cooked vegetables (spinach, fenugreek, pumpkin, long gourd are quite popular), plain chapatis and rice. Pickle is sometimes provided with the food but if you are visiting someone for lunch/ dinner, it might be rude to take pickle/ add salt to your food since it implies that the food they prepared is not good enough and you have to modify it (yes, it can be a pain sometimes!)

on the weekends, a richer and spicier curry is cooked, ofter for lunch since a post-lunch nap is often in order. this is a recipe for one such HOT dish:

Ingredients (to serve 4-5)

Potatoes 400 grams
Onions 600 grams
Garlic 10 cloves (optional)
Ginger 30 grams (optional)
Oil 100ml
Cumin seeds 1 tablespoon
Fennel seeds 1 teaspoon
asafoetida (Heeng) 1/5 teaspoon (really optional)
Chilli Powder 1 heaped teaspoon
Coriander Powder 3 heaped teaspoons
Turmeric Power 1 level teaspoon
Garam Masala (I think "MDH" brand is good) 1 teaspoon (optional)
Salt to taste

* some items are marked optional since not everyone likes garlic in their food and not everyone's got garam masala ready at a moment's notice. The elimination of these doesn't have a tragic effect. It reduces the overall taste, but it's still pretty good.

** Adding asafoetida or not really has no effect on taste (Not sure, why we put it in then!)
(I later got this message on messenger from my wife Gunjan -

   Gunjan says:
      and asafoetida is used as an anti flatulent
      read prevents gas
      and i have proof too - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
)

Making the spice paste: add the chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala to about 100 ml water to form a thin paste. keep aside for later

Heat the oil and add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. When they are brown (about 30 secs), add asafoetida and onions. Stir occasionally to avoid onions sticking to base and after 2 mins when water starts coming out of onions, add chopped ginger and garlic. Stir occasionally till onions turn golden brown and oil starts re-surfacing. Add diced potatoes (i like them diced smaller - about 2cm^3) and salt and stir well. add 50 ml water to have that initial steam that will cool the potatoes. Cover with lid, turn to low and cook for 5 mins. Remove lid, turn the heat up and add the spice paste, cook while stirring regularly for 2 mins. Add 500 ml water (more if you want the curry thinner, less if you want it thicker). Turn to medium-low and cook for 10-15 more mins (10 if potatoes cut into 2cm^3 pieces, 15 if cut into larger pieces)

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and enjoy with chapati, parathas, naan, rice, bread....

P.S. You can put peas (250gms) and diced ripe tomatoes (200 grams) as well after you add the spice paste. This would give you a bit "sweeter" curry.

alu matar (gunjan's fav) recipe

hey,

here's the alu matar recipe (potatoes with green peas).

ingredients:
potatoes - 3, diced
peas - 300-400 grams (really depends on how much you like them)
onion - 2 medium - chopped fine
tomatoes - 2, big, ripe, diced
bay leaves - 3
chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
turmeric power - 1/2 teaspoon
coriander powder - 2 heaped teaspoon
garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
ginger paste 1 heaped teaspoon
garlic paste 1 heaped teaspoon
oil - 50ml
salt to taste

heat oil and when it's hot enough, add the mustard, cumin seeds and bay leaves. after 10 seconds or so (or before the cumin and mustard seeds start burning), add the onion and cook for 5 mins on high heat, stirring occasionally. add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 3 more minutes stirring occasionally.

put the four powders in a bowl, add 100 ml of water and mix thoroughly, add this to the onions cooking at high heat. keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the base (if it sticks, add some water slowly). after about 30 seconds, add the diced potato, stir and cook for 2 mins. add the diced tomatoes and cook for another minute. add a litre of water and turn up the heat. when the boil comes, add salt, reduce heat to 4 o'clock position and cook for 20 minutes. add peas, cook for 3 more minutes. garnish with coriander leaves and ta-da!