The Recipe Room

The Potato Story

The humble Potato finds its roots in its Spanish equivalent – Patata. Consumed in kilos every year (statistics say that on an average a person consumes 103 kgs of Potatoes every year), this spud is one ingredient that forms a part of a poor man’s meal as well as a rich man’s menu. No wonder United Nations had named 2008 as theInternational Year of Potato. Here are a few more interesting facts about this gentle spud

• Pomme de terre is French for Potato. A pomme is an apple, a pomme de terre is an apple of the ground, and chips are pommes frites or fried apple
• Potato was the first food to be grown in space. It was taken on Columbia in 1995
• The world’s biggest potato weighed in at 3.2 kgs and it was grown in Germany in 1997. Now that’s the weight of a small dog
• The “French fry” was allegedly served in the U.S. for the first time by Thomas Jefferson at a presidential dinner
• In US, potato products are the second most consumed products of all, trailing only behind dairy products

Not just that, but potatoes also make people laugh and giggle. Wanna know how? Read on

• Why didn’t the mother potato want her daughter to marry the famous newscaster? Because he was a commen’tator’.
• Why wouldn’t the reporter leave the mashed potatoes alone? He desperately wanted a scoop.

Want more of these jokes, click here.

This versatile crop definitely is a huge hit amongst masses of all ages. French Fries, baked potatoes or potatoes in gravy, you name it and the potato can be cooked in every way possible. While we are at it, here’s a recipe from India that is high on calories but it’s worth all the calories for the excellent taste that it offers. A favorite across all Indian restaurants, this is one dish that you must save on your recipe list to impress your guests when you show off your knowledge of spices.

A dish originally from the beautiful land of Kashmir in Northern India, Dum Aloo is a classic vegetarian option. Small baby potoates cooked in a delicately spiced yoghurt based gravy gives this dish its unique taste and creamy texture. Enjoy it with Pulao or Naan.

Dum Aloo – When Humble Potato Meets Royalty

Serving Size – Serves Four
Estimated Preparation Time – 15 Minutes
Estimated Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Ingredients:

500gm / 1Lb Baby Potatoes

2 Onion chopped

1 Tsp Ginger paste

1Tsp Garlic Paste

1Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 cup Yoghurt

1Tbsp Coriander powder

1Tbsp Chilli Powder

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 Tbsp Cardamom powder

1Tsp Garam Masala

1Tbsp Salt (or to taste)

Vegetable Oil – 2Tbsp plus extra for deep frying

Preparation Method:

Peel and wash the baby potatoes and prick them with a fork or toothpick.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When oil is hot, deep fry the potatoes till they turn crisp and golden brown. Keep aside.

For the gravy, lightly whisk the yoghurt and to it add ginger and garlic paste, coriander powder, chilli powder. turmeric and cardamom powder. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

Heat two Tbsp oil, add cumin seeds,when cumin starts spluttering add chopped onions. Saute till onions turn light brown.

To the sauteed onions add the previously fried potatoes and the yoghurt mixed with the spices.Add salt and Mix well.

Cook for 15 minutes on low heat with the lid on. stir occasionally.

The gravy should thicken up after cooking and the potatoes will become soft. Sprinkle garam masala to finish off. Serve hot along with plain rice or any Indian bread.

Nutritional Value – Calories- 510 Fat 20 g, Carbohydrates- 31 g, Protein- 27 g

Tip: Instead of frying the potatoes they can also be baked in an oven for a healthier option.

In my previous post on Rice Pudding I highlighted a few facts from Asia about rice like an average Asian eats about 150 kilos of rice annually compared to an average European who consumes just 5 kilos. Check the post to read more such interesting facts. No matter what the facts say, it is true that Rice is a versatile ingredient. You will find it in every cuisine of the world and while the name changes from Pulao to Pilaaf to Fried Rice, everyone enjoys eating it.

More about Rice

A lot of people are very conscious when it comes to eating rice, may be due to its carbohydrate content. However, nothing is harmful when consumed in the right quantities. In fact, there are quite a few nutritional benefits of rice as well

• Rice is easy to digest. It is low in cholesterol, low in fat and high in starch.
• It is a rich source of energy, as it comprises of 77.5% of carbohydrate (33% of our daily food intake must be carbohydrates).
• Good energy source.
• A good source of vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, niacin, iron, riboflavin, vitamin D, calcium, potassium and fiber.
• Low sugar and no gluten.
• Contains resistant starch.
• Non-allergenic.
• Rice is a low-sodium food for those with hypertension.
• It is a fair source of protein containing all eight amino acids.

For the more calorie conscious, Basmati rice, brown rice and parboiled rice are a good substitute for the regular white rice. One should also wash thoroughly before cooking it. In fact, wash it 2-3 times. And hey wash the rice, don’t do what the blondie did on Wednesday

Blondie Diary – Entry on Wednesday

A great day for rice. The recipe said wash thoroughly before steaming the rice. It seemed sort of silly, but I took a shower. I can’t say it improved the rice any.

Ahem! Jokes apart, most rice recipes can be made in a matter of a few minutes. Khichdi (rice with lentils) is one such dish that can be prepared in just about 15-20 minutes. It can be prepared with a variety of Lentils like Mung Dal(golden gram), Toor Dal (pigeon peas), Masoor Dal (Orange/Red Lentil), etc.

Khichdi – Quick Indian Rice with Lentils

Serving Size – Serves Two
Estimated Preparation Time – 5 minutes
Estimated Cooking Time – 15 minutes
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