Potato Fry / Alu Fry

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

1. Potato - 2
2. Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves
3. Curry leaves - 6
4. Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
6. Turmeric Powder - 1 tablespoon
7. Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon freshly squeezed
8. Salt as required
9. Oil - 2 tablespoons
10. Asofaetida - a pinch
11. Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon

Method

• Heat the oil in a saucepan, add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds,once they start spluttering, add asofaetida and curry leaves.
• As they are frying, add cut garlic pieces and fry till they turn brown.
• Meanwhile cut the potatoes into quarters and soak them in warm water for 10 minutes,add the potatoes to the fried garlic mixture.
• Close the lid and stir the vegetable every five minutes to prevent from being charred.Once the potatoes become soft, add turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, lemon juice and cook in low flame and closed lid for 3 minutes.

Note : I toss a tea spoon of tomato ketchup at the end to give it a tangy taste, but its purely optional.

Mirchi Bajji/Chilli Bajji

Serves 4
Ingredients

1. Green Hot Peppers - 5
2. Ginger - 10 medium pieces
3. Red Onion - 1/2
4. Cilantro - 1/4 bunch
5. Red chillis - 3 to 4
6. Cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
7. Ajwan - 1 table spoon
8. Salt as required
9. Sugar - 1 tablespoon
10. Tamarind - 1/2 tablespoon
11. Besan/Chickpea flour - 1 cup
12. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon
13. Baking soda - 1 teaspoon (optional)
14. Oil - sufficient to fry

Method

• Heat oil in a saucepan, add onions,ginger and red chillis.
• Fry till the onions turn brown
• Add the above mixture to a grinder along with jeera,ajwan,sugar,salt,tamarind and cilantro
• Grind into a coarse paste.
• Cut the peppers into various pieces finger length as shown in the picture
• Stuff the peppers with the coarse paste
• Take besan/chick pea powder in a bowl, add red chilli powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add water to mix it into a thick paste.
• Heat the oil on a medium flame for a while.
• Immerse the stuffed peppers into besan/chickpea flour mixture and fry in the oil.