Katchhi Village Potato Curry

This is the first post which will utilize the new picture widget. I think it is terrific. Food porn addicts get to look at the pictures without getting bogged down with the details. People who want to read the actual recipe can read the post and discover the details. I REALLY, REALLY like it. Uploading with Flickr's photo uploader is also a joy...much better and FASTER than Blogger's crap uploading. Lemme know how you like the new photo thingy. That's the BCC. Also trying to improve his readers' experiences. What a guy, what a guy (and he's still single!)

So this is, obviously, another Indian vegetable post. It is from Mangoes & Curry Leaves Culinary Travels Through The Great Subcontinent which I have cooked from before. It keeps its status as a great book to cook from. In fact, I've made it my goal to cook every vegetable recipe in the book...I'm about halfway through and it has been a mostly delicious experience.

Anyhow, here we go. I guess I will also use a more traditional cookbook format for recipes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons of oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic or garlic paste..(.oops...just realized I made a boo-boo in the above picture...pretty sure it says tablespoon...and it also includes ginger...my bad)
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup of sliced shallots
1 cup of chopped tomatoes (I used canned, diced tomatoes)
2 green chiles seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup of water
(NOTE-I MADE A DOUBLE BATCH AND THE PICTURES REFLECT THAT)

Heat oil in a large pot, toss in half of the garlic and cook until fragrant. Don't burn the garlic. If you do, you've failed and should start over. Add the potatoes and shallots. I cooked this until the shallots softened and went limp. Toss in the tomatoes, green chiles and give it a good stir.

Add the spice blend and the rest of the garlic. Stir well. Add the water and PLENTY of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are cooked through. After 10 minutes, give it a good stir to make sure nothing is sticking...if it is, add a bot of water.

OPTIONAL ACCOMPANIMENTS
Fresh sliced shallots
Fried green chiles
Jaggery
Chapatis

I opted for none of the above. Instead, I ate the starchy potato curry with rice. Starch and starch. Got a problem with that? Then you'll probably also have a problem with the fact that ate the starchy potato curry with starchy rice AND starchy lentils. 'Cause I'm tough like that.

Time-20 for prep, ~25 for the cooking.

Food cost. Not going to bother with this one...I mean, potatoes? Shallots? Some tomatoes? Cheap, cheap and cheap. It's got to be well under a buck per serving.



Wow. This new format is EASY. SUPER DUPER EASY. And fast. However, it seems like alot of the obsessive details which I used to add have been lost. Hmmm. I dunno.

Here's your LOLCat prize.