Tag: Potatoes

No Need of Onions!!! · Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Urulai Fry (Alu Fry) – Potatoes flavoured with spices and finished in the Oven.

Shoba15 Comments
Urulai Fry.
Urulai Fry.

My husband got a huge bag of golden potatoes from the Indian store demandng me to make his favourite alu fry. These were the smaller golden potatoes with very thin skin which cooks pretty fast. So I got around to making it and I always start by pre-cooking it for  one whistle in the pressure cooker, lightly sauteing it in the pan and then broiling it in the oven. It`s fast, easy and very very original.

INGREDIENTS:

8-9 Medium to Small Potatoes.

Pinch of Turmeric.

Salt.

1 spoon of Red Chilli Powder.

Hing

Seasoning:

Oil, Mustard, Broken Urad Dhal and curry leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Peel the skin off all the potatoes and drop them in a vessel with a little water and salt and cook them for JUST ONE WHISTLE in the pressure cooker. Remove the cooker from the electric plate and keep in a cool place.
  • When the water is drained and the potatoes cooled, chop them in to big 1  inch pieces and set aside.
  • In a kadai, add 3 spoons of oil and when hot, add mustard, urad dhal and the curry leaves and a pinch of hing and then immediately the pieces of potatoes.
  • Add requisite salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and stir well.
  • Cook till the salt and the spices are well flavoured on the potatoes.
  • After about ten to fifteen minutes switch off the stove.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease an oven proof dish with oil spray and pop the potatoes in it.
  • Place the potatoes inside the oven for 3-4 minutes.
  • Now turn the setting to BROIL and allow it to broil for exactly 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Take out the potatoes, give it a stir so that the potaotes below come up.
  • Broil again for exactly 1 1/2 minutes. BROILING FOR ANY MORE TIME WOULD BLACKEN THE BEAUTIFULLY DONE POTATOES.
  • Serve sizzling hot with Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu and Pumpkin Kootu.

NOTES:

The option of broiling in oven is to cut back on the oil consumed in getting the “fried” taste and texture. It can be completely cooked on the stove top, on medium flame , adding oil now and then.

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Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Amma`s simple Alu Fry.

Shoba5 Comments
Simple Alu Fry.
Simple Alu Fry.

As I have already mentioned in my previous posts, every sunday afternoon lunches are slow and lazy and filling. D and me would devour the amazing vengaya vethakuzhambu and alu fry made by amma and lounge on the chair and try to solve the Express Sunday Crossword and the Jumble. I always remember such sunday afternoons with relish as those were the days…as a student, eating food cooked by amma, studying, watching some tv, reading books ad magazines, and sleep happily in the nights. Now, as a mother, I realise what a pleasure it is, to stay young and enjoy the thrills and innocence of childhood. Yesterday I was reminded of amma, and so I decided to treat my husband with the same menu. It`s very simple and easy, but very delicious and tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

5 Medium Potatoes.

1 spoon of salt

1 spoon of red chilli powder.

1 spoon of flax powder.

1/2 spoon of dhania powder.

Hing

Turmeric.

3 spoons of oil.

Seasoning:

Mustard, Urad Dhal and Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Remove the skin from the potatoes and chop them in to really fine pieces, dropping them in a vessel with water. This prevents them from blackening and cutting  them fine, helps it to cook faster and consume much less oil.
  • Drain all the water and pop it in to the microwave for a good 4 minutes.
  • Take a heavy bottomed kadai and add 3 spoons of oil. When it starts to smoke, add mustard, urad dhal , curry leaves and a dash of hing before adding the chopped potatoes.
  • Sprinkle more hing, salt, red chilli powder and dhania powder and incorporate them in to the potatoes.
  • Allow to cook and roast well and stir in  intermittently if you feel that the potaotes are sticking to the bottom.  You could spray a little oil, if you feel that the alu is getting too dry.
  • After about 25 minutes of roasting well, switch off the stove.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with Vengaya Vethakuzhambu or VethaKuzhambu. Alternatively is an excellent option for filling bread to make sandwiches or to go with rotis and phulkas.