New Potato Bhaji/Sabji
Naye Aloo ki Sookhi Sabji
Yashoda Gupta
I make this dish often, whenever I can find really small new potatoes. If you don't have small ones, you can chop larger new potatoes into small pieces. My father Suresh, used to grow potatoes in his vegetable garden and my mum Yashoda, cooked it with the tinniest of potatoes that were freshly dug up.
The recipe is for 1/2 kg potatoes, but the pictures here show it cooked with only 300gm potatoes.
Serves 5-6.
Ingredients
500 gm. small new potatoes
2-3 tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 green chillies, chopped. If not available, use broken up dry red chillies (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
A small pinch of asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. of coriander powder
1/2 tsp. of chilli powder, according to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. amchoor - dry mango powder. I often replace it with a couple of thin slices of lemon, skin included.
1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
A bunch of coriander leaves (optional), chopped finely
Instructions
Wash potatoes well and cut in half or quarter, small pieces. Very tiny ones can be left whole.
Measure all ground spices into a small bowl and mix.
Heat oil in a karahi or wok.
Add cumin seeds and asafoetida powder, wait until seeds sputters/crackle, not allowing them to burn.
Add ginger and green chillies, stir fry for a minute or so. Do not let them burn or they will get bitter.
Add potatoes, salt and all the ground spices, except garam masala and mango powder. Stir fry for a minute, until all potatoes are well coated with spices.
Cook on low heat, stirring gently from time to time, until potatoes are tender. If potatoes are fresh and small, no addition of water is required. But if they look too dry, if they begin to 'catch', sprinkle a little water when necessary.
Once the potatoes are cooked and if there is any excess water left, stir fry on high, until no water is left and potatoes look shiny.
Add amchoor (dry mango powder), Garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Mix.
Serve hot with freshly made Poori or Chapatties and a dal of your choice or simply with freshly made, hot Plain Parathas.
