German potato salad

 

Lucious and cold potato salad

A mild, flavourful salad that is satisfying with its tangy tastes and is great on a summer afternoon lunch. A favourite with all age groups. Have it cold preferably.

Ingredients

500 gms boiled and sliced potatoes

1 sliced onion

1 cup or veg broth/water

salt

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tsp pepper crushed

Herbs of choice (oregano, chopped spring onions)

2 tbsp oil

Method

1. In a bowl put the potatoes. 

2. Mix oil with broth, salt and seasonings.

3. Toss all well. At this point it should be watery.

4. Chill and serve. 

Chettinad potatoes

Chettinad aloo

Love the strong flavors of this dish. One whiff of this dish and my little girl couldn't resist a spoon full from the pot. Here it is.

4-5 large potatoes cut into chunks

2 onions sliced

2 chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard

Hing

Curry leaves

Haldi

Salt

To roast and grind to powder

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp urad dal

2 red chillies

8-10 peppercorns

1 inch piece cinnamon

2 cloves

1 tbsp fennel seeds/ saunf

Method 

Heat oil and add hing and mustard , let them splutter. 

Add curry leaves and onions and sauté.

Now add haldi and salt and mix.

Put in potatoes and mix.

Add chopped tomatoes and water and cook till done.

Now sprinkle the masala powder and mix well.

Adjust the water as needed.

Cook for few mins and too with green coriander.

Serve with dosas or lemon rice. 

Spicy South Indian flavored potatoes

      I had once tasted some lovely spicy potatoes in South Indian style.I kept asking the friend for the recipe but some do not like to share it.I always had this taste in my mouth. This week end I had invited a friend's husband over for dinner and he is from South India.Since his wife is away I thought he would like some curry from his cuisine.I tried making from my imagination and what turned out was wonderful.So I am glad this recipe found place on my blog now.
Ingredients
Potaoes chopped in 1"cubes                          5-6 nos
Chopped onions                                            1 no
Halved  garlic                                                 8-10 pcs
Chopped ginger                                             1/2 tbsp
Bay leaf                                                         1 no
Cinnamon stick                                             1" pc
Pepper corns                                                 6-8 nos
Cumin seeds                                                  1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds                                                1/2 tsp
Hing                                                               1/4 tsp
Cumin powder                                               1/2 tsp
Coriander powder                                          2 tsp
Chilli powder                                                 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder                                               1/4 tsp
Fennel powder                                               1 tsp
haldi                                                               1/2 tsp
Rasam powder                                               1 1/2 tsp
Oil                                                                  2 tbsp
Curry leaves                                                   8-10 nos
Chopped tomatoes                                         2-3 nos
Tamarind pulp                                               1/2 bowl
Poppy seeds crushed(optional)                      1 tsp
Coconut paste                                                2 tbsp
salt to taste
Method
Heat oil and add hing, cumin,mustard seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon and pepper corns and let them crackle.
Add curry leaves,chopped garlic and ginger.Turn in the onions and let them color well.
Add the potatoes and cover to cook for 4-5 mins.Turn once in between.
Add the spices and poppy seeds and mix well.Add the chopped tomatoes and salt.
Add 1/2 cup water and cook till almost done.
Now add tamarind pulp and coconut paste and cover to cook till potatoes are soft but not mashy.
Top with ciriander and serve hot with rice, paratha or even puris.

Spicy mixed dal dosa with potatoes

        Dosas are one of the most loved delicacies.Apart from them being tasty, they are filling , nutritious and can be eaten any time to kill those hunger pangs.I keep trying out various kinds and this time thought should try out something more exciting.So a bit of twist and we had a lovely crisp spicy fare for our dinner.Of course served with potatoes and chutney made with.....peanut butter !!Yummm!
Makes about 16-18 dosas
Ingredients
Chana dal                                  1/2 cup
Rice                                           1/2 cup
Moong dal                                 1/4 cup
Red masoor                               1/4 cup
For a paste
Grated coconut                          1/4 piece
Ginger                                       1"piece
Hing                                          1/4 tsp
Roasted chana dal                     1 tbsp
Red chillies                               3-4 nos
Dhaniya seeds                          1 tbsp
oil                                            1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Method
Wash and soak the rice and dals and keep for 4-5 hrs.
Heat oil and roast coconut,roasted dal,red chillies, hing,dhaniya seeds and ginger and cool.
Add this to the dal and rice mixture and grind all this to a fine paste.
Add salt, curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
Heat and grease tava/skillet and spread a ladle full of the mixture and spread into a big dosa.You can also spread chopped onions on this too.
Put a bit of oil and let it cook till golden.
Turn and cook on the other side.
Serve hot with potatoes and peanut chutney .Instead of peanuts, I added peanut butter.

Potato curry
Boiled potatoes                              1/2 kg
Sliced onions                                 2 nos
Curry leaves                                  10-12 nos
Urad dal                                        1 tsp
Hing                                              1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds                               1/2 tsp
Tumeric powder                           1/4 tsp
Oil                                                1 tbsp
salt to taste

Heat oil and add hing,mustard seeds and let them crackle.
add urad dal and let it color.Put in curry leaves,salt and haldi.
Now put in sliced onions and cook for 2-3 mins.
Add chopped potatoes and mix well.
Put 1/2 cup water and cover and cook for 5 mins.Serve with dosas.
                 

Shepherd's Pie

Being a vegetarian from birth,there were lot of things we would not try eating.So we felt left out sometimes.But as I grew I  realized that I need not miss out on some foods,vegetarian food has so much to offer and slowly I started to use these to create some foods which tasted great and were good options too.Can be prepared anywhere.Here in Germany,vegetables too are limited and so after a while it can become difficult to just eat the same thing.But I looked beyond and have started to use locally available veg food in the form of frozen, canned and of course fresh and put something on the table, which my family enjoys.Some of my Indian friends here have started to ask me for recipes, which made me think of starting my 2nd blog.It keeps me occupied in this place and I have documentation of my recipes.( most times I end up adding something more and the same dish tastes different next time around)
A friend told me she had made a Shepherd's pie the last week end and she was raving about it, not to be left behind, I made this veg version and my son has asked me to make it again!So I share it here.

Ingredients
Brinjal chopped              1 no( about 500 gms)
red bell pepper chopped 1 no
tofu crumbled roughly      200 gms
onion chopped                2 nos
garlic chopped                1 1/2 tbsp
tomato paste or               3 tbsp
puree                               1 cup
Chopped tomatoes           1 no
soya sauce                        1 tbsp
chilli flakes                        1 tsp
mixed herbs                       1 tsp
salt                                   to taste
lime juice                          1 tsp
olive oil                             1 tbsp
For the topping
boiled potatoes                4-5 nos
curd                                 100 gms
cream                               3tbsp
or
milk(healthier option)       1/2 cup
mixed frozen herbs           1 tbsp
salt to taste
Butter                              1 tbsp
bread crumbs(optional)   to cover
Method      
Heat oil and saute garlic till golden.
Add in onions and saute till translucent.Add the brinjal and cook on low heat and let them cook till they are 1/2 done and are colored a bit.Add the bell peppers, tofu and cook a while.Add the tomatoes and paste and the rest of the ingredients and let them all come together a bit.Put this into a baking dish.
Mash the potatoes well and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to form a pasty mixture.Pat it on the brinjal mixture and spread it well.Top with bread crumbs and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 deg for 10 mins and at 180 deg for further 10 mins, till it acquires a golden brown crust on the top and there is no water seeping in from the dish.Serve with herb bread or garlic bread.