Aloo Podimas
* South Indian Potato *
On long journeys in Indian Railways, your food is ordered and paid for at a stop en-route, then delivered to your carriage piping-hot at the next stop for you to eat as the train pulls out. The dirty dishes are collected at the next (third) stop. This potato dish was one that I had in this way on a train journey in Southern India. The system seems to be very complex, but it works right down to the last detail - the waiter even had the meal in his hands and was standing on the platform in exactly the right place to enter my carriage when the train stopped.
SERVES
- 4 as a main course
INGREDIENTS
- 11/2 lb potato, peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 6 tablespoons mustard or peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon urid dhal, crushed
- 1 Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- salt to taste
SPICES
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 8 dry Curry Leaves
- 1-6 dry red chillies
- 1-6 red hot peppers (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
METHOD
- Boil the potato dice with the turmeric until still a little 'crisp'.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a karahi and fry the Spices and the dhal for 2 minutes.
- Add the onion slices and fry until brown (around 5 minutes).
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and simmer until cooked (about 5 minutes).
- Add the just-cooked potatoes, and toss well. Add salt to taste, then serve.
- This dish will keep chilled for a day. Freezing spoils the texture of the potato.
Find this and other delicious recipes in Homestyle Indian Cooking by Pat Chapman
