Indian spicy potatoes ( potato poriyal)

I love potatoes and this Indian spicy potato poriyal is a tasty accompaniment to rice, dosa, poori or even as a breakfast side. Growing up my mom made poriyal and we ate it with paruppu rice and yogurt rice and this was a very tasty and filling meal.

Ingredients:

Potato - small 1 lb (large 1 or 2)  

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tbsp

Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp

Cilantro - handful of leaves 

Curry leaf- 3 or 4

Salt - to taste 

Garlic ( optional)

Water- to boil potatoes 

Instructions:

1. Wash potatoes well and place them in a pot with water covering the potatoes 

2. Add salt 

3. Bring the pot to a boil 

4. Cook the potatoes until they are slightly soft ( test with fork, you should be able to slide it in without resistance )

5. Once cooked drain the water and set aside the potatoes 

6. Once cool you can peel the potatoes 

7. Alternatives: you can peel potatoes and then boil them

You can cook the potatoes in a microwave as well

8. Cut the potatoes into 1” cubes 

9. In a saucepan add 2 to 3 tbsp of oil and heat it up 

10. Add the potatoes to the oil and ensure it is coated with oil 

11. Make a little area in the center of the pan and add another tbsp of oil and add the turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala to it and sauté the spices in the oil. 

Tip : always roast or sauté spices in oil to avoid a raw smell/ taste from the spices 

12. Now mix the spices with the potato so all the potatoes are coated in the spice mixture. Add salt and ensure the potatoes are evenly coated

13. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat until the potatoes brown a little at the bottom

14. Now you can turn them over and allow the other side to cook for a few minutes.

15. I typically cook them until they have a golden brown crust.

16. Add the cilantro leaves and curry leaves and mix in with the potatoes. 

17. Cook for about 1Minute until the cilantro and curry leaf are wilted 

18. Potato poriyal is ready to serve 

19. This can be eaten as a side with breakfast, dinner etc and can be eaten as an accompaniment with dosa or with rice dishes  ( yogurt rice in particular goes well with this )

Coconut chutney

Coconut chutney is a great accompaniment to many foods. Chutney is defined a sauce/relish of Indian origin. In the US chutneys are usually associated with sweet/spicy sauces made of fruit and spices like a mango chutney which comes in a bottle like a jelly/jam. South Indian chutneys are usually savory and made from fresh ingredients. It can be served with idli, dosa, pongal, upma, bajji, vada, etc. It really is a versatile side dish and it is very tasty. There are many variations of this chutney and I am going to give you the basic recipe for coconut chutney made with green chillies.

Ingredients:

coconut ( grated)- 1 cup

green chillies ( small indian/thai green chillies) – 2 (de-seeded if you want it less spicy)

Roasted skinned split chickpeas ( pottukadalai/ Channa dal/bengal gram)- 1 to 2 tbsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp (to taste)

Water – as needed

Optional:

Tamarind paste – a pea size glob ( or a pea size of real tamarind fruit)- you can add this to the chutney so it keeps for a few days to prevent it from spoiling

Garlic – 1 to 2 cloves — you can add this to the chutney if you love garlic

Ginger – 1 inch piece – you can add this to the chutney if you want a little zing

In the place of green chillies

dried red chillies- 1 large or 2 small to get a red chutney

Black peppercorns- 1 tsp – to get a peppery chutney

There are numerous other variations to chutney .

To garnish:

Black mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Urad dal ( split skinned black gram)- 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1 pinch

Curry leaves – 5 to 10

Oil – 1 tbsp

Instructions:

1. Grind the coconut , roasted split chickpeas, green chillies, salt ( and tamarind) together in a blender. Add a little water to start with and add more water as you go depending on if you want the chutney coarse/thick or thin/ watery.
   

   

   
   
   
   
2. Place this chutney in a bowl and taste it and add additional salt and mix well

 3. Now in a separate small pan add oil and heat it up. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida, and curry leaves to the oil until they sizzle / sputter ( just a few seconds) without burning them and add this mixture to the chutney and mix well.

4. Coconut Chutney is ready to serve as an accompaniment with your dish !