PICKING ON POTATOES | Easy to make & yummy to munch on potato recipes…

BY: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI – CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF.

Potatoes a favorite of almost all of us, one ingredient which we can rarely do without in our kitchens. Near and dear one, also turns out to being a saviour amidst us while cooking many recipes, be it adding up volume into the recipe or absorbing up a little over normal salt added in a dish during the cooking process, it has the ability and capacity to please us in a number of ways.

Potatoes are a good source of fiber, which can help you lose weight by keeping you full longer. Fiber can help prevent heart disease by keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also full of antioxidants that work to prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly.

Besides indian cooking, potatoes are a world famous commodity and has been with global culinary world since thousands of years now. New or old category of potatoes as we usually classify them are both equally nutritious and beneficial to us in a number of ways, infact some of them are also rated on size from small baby potatoes to the medium and the large.

Here are a few Health Benefits of Potatoes:

• Potatoes are a rich source of magnesium, iron and ascorbic acid, beneficial for our body in a number of ways.
• Potatoes minimise sugar absorption & help in digestion.
• Potatoes are rich in Vitamin – C, Vitamin –B6 & copper too.
• Potatoes are regarded as best energy producing vegetable.
• Potatoes are low in sodium & reduce inflammation.
• Potatoes offer liver cleansing & control blood pressure.
• Potatoes are high in Vitamin-A & also prevent kidney stones.

Let us now try out a few of my recipes using our favorite POTATOES:

Recipe -1] POTATO COCO-NAKA ROLLS

Ingredients:

For the potato mixture:

• Boiled mashed potatoes- 2 cups/ approx. 5-6 med sized potatoes
• Salt to taste
• White/black pepper powder-1/4 tsp
• Butter-2 tsp at room temperature
• Egg yolk-1 no- optional.
• Grated cheese- 2-3 tsp- optional.
• Nutmeg powder/ jaiphal- 1 pinch
• Chaat masala-1/4 tsp
• Roasted crushed jeera- ¼ tsp
• Parsley & mint leaves- 2 tsp each chopped
• Bread crumbs-1 cup for binding and coating as well
• Maida / corn flour- ¼ cup for binding and for the dipping mixture with water
• Oil- to deep fry

To serve with:

Chili Mili Mayo Dip :

• Mayonnaise-1/2 cup
• Chopped green chilies-1 tsp
• Coriander-1 tsp chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mango pickle masala-1/2 tsp
• Mix and chill.

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine together all the ingredients for the potato croquette recipe, mix up the ingredients for the dip and chill until used.
2. Add seasonings, herbs and flavorings as desired to taste and add breadcrumbs along with little maida/cornflour and butter and bind it well together.
3. Divide the potato mixture into 12-14 even portions lemon sized and apply little oil on the hands/fingers and shape every portion into a cylindrical shape and dip it in a coating batter of maida and water and then coat with breadcrumbs and place on a plate.
4. Prepare all the portions the same way, as a variation we can also stuff them with combination of grated cheese with nuts, cooked mincemeat with cheese or nuts etc as well, capsicum, cheese, cooked mushrooms etc can be used as well.
5. Chill the prepared portions in the fridge for 30 mins, heat oil for frying to a medium hot flame and slide in the croquettes one by one and fry them well on all sides to nice golden color, remove on a kitchen paper, drain off excess oil and serve with the prepared chilled dip.

Recipe -2] OOH- LA- LA POTATOES

Ingredients:

• Potatoes- 10-12 no medium sized.

For the marination:

• Oil/ olive oil- 2-3 tbsp.
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper powder-1/2 tsp
• Mixed herbs- 1 tsp preferably use fresh herbs.
• Chili flakes- 1 tsp
• Honey-2-3 tsp
• Soy sauce- 2 tsp
• Red chili sauce- 2 tsp
• White vinegar-2 tsp
• Butter- 2-3 tbsp. melted
• Parsley- 2-3 tsp
• Parmesan cheese/ cheese- 2-3 tsp grated for garnish.

Dip to serve alongside with the Potatoes:

• Hung curd- 1 cup, beaten and thick
• Cream cheese- 2 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mustard paste-1/2 tsp
• Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
• Mint and coriander leaves- 2 tsp chopped
• Dates-2-3 chopped.
• Mix well and chill until used.

Method:

1. Clean and rinse the potatoes few times under running water.
2. Scrub the potatoes with a little regular salt to remove any dirt etc and rinse again.
3. Do not peel them for this recipe, using a sharp knife make slit slices as shown in the pic in every potato and keep in salted water for 10 mins.
4. In a mixing bowl combine together the oil based marination for the potatoes and using a kitchen brush apply the marination in and on every potato and arrange them on a baking tray and put them to bake/ roast in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees for 25-30 mins.
5. Remove the potatoes from the oven and arrange on a serving platter and place the prepared dip alongside and serve as a snack.

Recipe – 3] HARE BHARE ALOO

Ingredients :

• Potatoes- 4-5 no slightly oval or elongated shaped, cut half horizontally and par boil them, scoop out the center part and use in stuffing.

For the marination:

• Oil- 2-3 tsp
• Mustard paste- 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs- 1 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
• Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
• Red chili sauce- 2 tsp

For the stuffing:

• Baked beans-1/2 cup tinned
• Scooped out potatoes- chopped
• Garlic-1 tsp chopped
• Onion-1 small chopped
• Green chilies-1 tsp
• Oil-1 tsp
• Butter-1 tsp
• Chicken sausages-2-3 chopped/sliced
• Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped coriander-2 tsp
• Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
• Capsicum-1/2 chopped
• Red chili sauce-1 tsp
• Grated cheese-2-3 tbsp. topping.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the stuffed potato recipe.
2. Heat oil and butter and saute the garlic, onions, chilies and add in the capsicums, sausages or any veggies of your choice and baked beans from a tin and add along salt and all spices, herbs, flavorings and sauces to taste.
3. Cook the mixture on a low flame for 4-5 mins and turn off the flame, stuff the parboiled potato cups with this mixture and top with cheese and place it on a baking tray and bake them at 160 degrees Celsius for 20-25 mins.
4. Serve them as a snack with dips and sauces of your choice or as a side dish to main course or mini meal.

Recipe – 4] CHATPATE ALOO

Ingredients:

• Potatoes-4-5 no cut into wedges

For the marination:

• Oil- 2-3 tbsp.
• Chopped garlic-1 tbsp.
• Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
• Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
• Black salt-1/4 tsp
• Black pepper powder-1/4 tsp
• Coriander powder- 2 tsp
• Cumin powder-1 tsp
• Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
• Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Melted butter-1/4 cup
• Chopped coriander/ parsley-2 tbsp.

Dip to serve alongside with the wedges:

• Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
• tomato puree-1/2 cup
• Garlic-2 tsp chopped
• Olive oil-2 tsp
• Butter-1 tsp
• Red chili sauce-2 tsp
• Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
• Chopped coriander-2 tsp
• Cook all the above in a pan for 2-3 mins and keep warm.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the potato wedges recipe.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together the marinate and apply it on the potato wedges, pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and place the potato on a baking tray to cook in the oven for 25- 30 mins.
3. Remove and arrange them on a serving platter, and serve with the prepared warm tomato dip and also suggested to serve with the mexican avocado dip called guacamole.

Recipe -5] MASH SMASH ALOO

Ingredients:

• Potatoes- 5-6 large ones, boiled, peeled and mashed.

To add into the mashed potatoes:

• Olive oil- 2 tsp
• Melted butter-1/4 cup
• Salt and crushed black pepper-to taste
• Red chili powder-1/4 tsp
• Chaat masala-1/4 tsp
• Garlic-1 tsp chopped
• Spring onions-2-3 chopped
• Parsley-2- 3 tsp chopped
• Lime juice-2 tsp
• Toasted/ fried peanuts- 2-3 tbsp.
• Sunflower seeds/ flax seeds- 2 tsp toasted-crushed.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the indo-western mashed potatoes.
2. Once the potatoes are boiled, peeled, mashed add the ingredients into it while they are still warm, saute the garlic and onion in the oil and butter and then add into the potatoes.
3. Cream the mixture well in order to mix in the flavors and getting them well blended into the potatoes.
4. Serve them immediately with toasted bread/ lavash or cheese straws/ fancy bread rolls etc.

Recipe – 6] ALOO MAST KALANDAR

Ingredients :

• Potatoes- 3-4 medium sized, peeled and sliced, par boiled.

To prepare the filling for the layered potato recipe:

• Oil-2 tsp
• Butter-2 tsp
• Garlic-2 tsp chopped
• Onion-1 chopped
• Chicken mince/ soya granules-1 cup
• Green peas- ½ cup
• Assorted capsicums-1/2 cup chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs and chili flakes to taste
• Water/stock-1/2 cup
• Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
• Tomato puree-1/2 cup
• Tomato ketchup-2 tbsp.
• Red chili sauce- 2 tsp
• Sliced onions-1 cup saute in little oil and butter until light pink
• Grated cheese/ cream cheese- 2 tbsp.
• Coriander/ parsley-2 tsp chopped.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the layered baked potato combi recipe.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius and grease a deep baking dish with olive oil/butter.
3. Heat oil and butter in a pan saute the garlic, onions until light pink in color add in the green capsicums, peas, and the chicken keema or the soya granules which can be soaked in warm water earlier for around 15 mins, drained and added here.
4. Add in the tomato puree, ketchup, salt and other seasonings, herbs, and mix well. Simmer and cook for 15-18 mins.
5. Layer this mixture with the sliced potatoes, little cheese and the saute sliced onions and allow to bake for 20-25 mins, serve hot with garlic bread, french bread or masala herbed focaccia.