A curry to go with your bread , nan or chappathi. The secret of this recipe is your patience.. few steps in this recipe consumes your time. Steps are quite simple but need to cook in low fire for a longer period. You can always add butter instead of oil to make it even tastier.
Preparation time : 15 mts
Cooking time : 10 + 25 mts
Serves : 4
Ingredients for blending :
- 1 onion cubed
- 1 tomato cubed
- 2 garlic cut into chunks
- 1′ ginger cubed
- 1tsp coriander roots
- 5 cashew nuts
- 2 cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick
- 1 small piece of mace
- 1 table spoon of any non flavoured oil
Step 1
Softening the ingredients for blending :
- Heat the oil on high heat in a large pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the whole spices and cashew nuts to one side of the pan and ginger and garlic to the other side of the pan.
- When the spices starts to splutter mix it together.
- Add all other ingredients for blending and soften them.
- Remove from the pan and allow it to cool.
- When it’s cooled to the room temperature blend it to fine paste.
Step 2
Preparing the potatoes :
- 400 g small potatoes.
- Thoroughly wash and clean the potatoes to remove any soil from it.
- In a sauce pan add enough water to cover the potatoes and cook till a fork goes through it comfortably when inserted.
- Drain it; add 1/4 tsp of chilli powder, 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt.
- Keep it aside for 10 mts.
- Prick the potatoes on all sides and fry in the same pan used for cooking the onion.
- Once the outer side of the potatoes are fried remove from the pan and keep it aside.
Other ingredients :
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3/4 tsp chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli / roasted paprika)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala or Chinese all spice powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Plain yogurt
- 2 table spoon coriander leaves chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp dry Kasuri methi(fenugreek leaves) ; this ingredient makes or breaks the dish
- 2 table spoon of oil (so total 3 table spoon of oil)
Step 3
Making of the curry :
- Heat 2 table spoon of oil in the same pan in which the onions are cooked for blending.
- Add the cumin seeds.
- when it starts to splutter add the blended mixture.
- Reduce the heat and cook till the oil separates.
- Once the oil separates add the powdered spices and cook further for a minute.
- Switch off the fire and add yogurt and mix it very well.
- Once the yogurt is mixed switch on the fire again and add 1 cup of water and bring it to boil. Add in the kasuri methi too.
- When it starts to boil add back the fried potatoes and coriander leaves ; cover and cook in low fire for another 5 mts. The dish is ready when the oil flots on top of the curry.
- Of course, you can fresh cream on top.
- This dish thickens with time so add as much liquid as needed if you’re preparing ahead of time.
Comments by Seema Nair