Dhania Puris & Aloo Subzi

There are probably very few humans who do not like Potato. In India, there is a variety of items that can be made out of this very simple "child of Mother earth". I was very surprised to find that, here in the US too, it is one of the most often used vegetable. Mashed potatoes, Hash browns , fries, pototoes (cooked in their skins - as Enid blyton puts it) ... these are some of the very few varieties that the so-called more privileged people know of.

I am putting across here one of my most favourite ways of cooking potato, my mother's very own recipe.

Ingredients
2 medium sized potatoes
1 onion - chopped finely.
1 tomato - chopped finely.
1 small cup peas
corriander leaves for garnish.
2 Cups water

Oil, Mustard, split Urad Dhaal for Seasoning

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste.

Way to Proceed
Cut the potatoes into quarter pieces and boil in the cooker. I use a small Hawkins cooker to boil my vegetables (something I learnt from my mom-in-law).It is so simple using this cooker to boil vegetables (unlike my big Prestige - where you should wait for a long time after you have switched it off to take off the whistle). Put the vegetables, sprinkle a bit of water (just enough to soak the vegetable) and put it on gas on medium heat. Switch off after 1 or 2 whistles depending on the texture of the vegetable. For the potato, I put the cooker for 2 whistles. Sprinkle some salt while boiling the potato, so that the potato pieces would absorb the salt. After the potatoes are boiled, mash them slightly. Ensure that you don't make it a complete paste. There should be a couple of chunks of potatoes.

In a kadai, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start spluttering, add the urad dhaal. When it starts to turn brown, add the chopped onion. Fry the onions till they turn slightly brown. Add the tomatoes, peas and the chilli powder. Saute the entire mixture for 5 minutes. Add water and let this entire concoction boil on a low flame for about 15 minutes. Add the mashed potatoes, salt to taste and stir well. Soon, the entire contents will turn thick. Switch off the gas and garnish with corriander leaves.

This can be served with pooris/chappatis/even rice. I made Dhania pooris the other day along with this subzi (knead finely chopped corriander leaves into the poori dough.)