I wanted to keep the theme for this month's Cooking from Cookbook Challenge same as the theme for the on-going month long marathon, which means I will be posting some Indian dishes from cookbooks every weekend.
For the first week, I'm cooking from 'The India Cookbook' by Pushpesh Pant. This is a HUGE book with around 1000 recipes from all over India. I remember borrowing this book from the library couple of years back, but returned it without cooking anything from it because I was literally overwhelmed with the number of dishes in the book and couldn't decide what to make before I had to return the book.
This time I borrowed it again, hoping that it would help for the A-Z Indian states marathon. I couldn't find many recipes from the states I was looking for, but ended up bookmarking other dishes that I wanted to make for CCChallenge. Unfortunately I sat on the book for too long not doing anything with it that I had to return it to the library yesterday. I was able to make only 1 dish from it. I went ahead and requested it again, so at least I can make the dishes that I bookmarked.
I was inspired to make a thali after looking at the amazing thalis on Rajani's and Manjula's blogs. I have a very very simple Andhra thali and is nowhere close to comparison to either of their thalis. Here's what I made for the thali:
- Paalakura Pappu -- Spinach dal
- Vankaya Ulli kaaram -- Eggplant in Onion gravy
- Alugadda Vepudu -- Spicy Potato fry
- Pappu Chaaru
- Avakaya
- Perugu -- Yogurt
- Pista burfi & murukkus -- storebought
Alugadda Vepudu (Spicy Potato Fry)
Ingredients
- 3 Potatoes - medium, boiled, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- to taste Salt
For the Spice Powder:*
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Cinnamon "
- 4 Cloves
- 4 red chili Dry - broken
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- to taste Salt
For the Tempering:
- 1 Onion - medium, thinly sliced
- 10 ~ 12 Curry leaves
Instructions
- Grind all the ingredients under Spice Powder into a powder. Set aside until ready to use.*
- Heat 1tbsp oil in a nonstick pan, add the mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the boiled and chopped potatoes and fry on medium flame until golden, about 5~6 minutes. Add spice powder. Cook for 1~2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from flame and set aside.
- In another pan, heat 2tsp oil. Add curry leaves and sliced onions. Cook on medium flame until onions are golden, about 5~6 minutes.
- Top the potatoes with the onions and serve with white rice.
* Spice Powder from Ground Spices:
- Simply mix all the ground spices in a small bowl and add to the curry in the 2nd step: 1tbsp Ground Coriander, 1tsp Ground Cumin, ½tsp Ground Cinnamon, ¼tsp Cloves, 1~2tsp Red chili powder (adjust as per taste), ½tsp Turmeric and salt to taste.
Kim
Looks lovely.I know what you mean about the size of Pushpesh Pant's book. Its the only reason, I haven't bought the book yet :)My husband is off potatoes for awhile, otherwise I would have loved to try this dish out, looks so yummy
Mitha Hegde
Wow! What a wonderful meal... Loved it!! 🙂
Sayantani
wow love potatoes in any form and they are best when spiced up like this. perfect
Vidhya
I am drooling. curry looks really yummy and the thali looks really colorful
Saras
Love to relish this entire dishes..absolutely delicious and inviting..
PJ
Pavani, I love potato curry that uses a spice mix. This one has been promptly bookmarked. And I wish I could find that book in our library...
Hari Chandana P
Wowww.. Wonderful platter.. Amazing! 🙂
Aparna
Very nice platter ..everything looks so tempting!
Suja Ilangovan
Beautiful platter, Pavani !! Love the spices in the potatoes .....
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
I too had to return the book before I tried all I had bookmarked. I need to take it out again also 🙂
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
I too had to return the book before I tried all I had bookmarked. I need to take it out again also 🙂
Srivalli
Wow amazing pavani, didn't realize you are up to so much efforts on the side..:)..great platter, so simple and yet so comforting..all the dishes on the plate is so inviting..heard much about the author, though don't own a copy!
Arthy shama
Too lovely preparation, and like your thali too 🙂
jasmin sadiq
yummm..potatoes r my favourite too