Roz Ka Khana

I’ve tried almost all the frozen vegetable burgers available in grocery stores here..Morningstar Farms, Boca, Amy’s, but none come close to the “veggie patty” burger that I was used to growing up.  I’ve also realized that one reason why most hamburger eaters think that veggie burgers are “gross” is probably cos they are. They are often dry, hard as a rock, with processed fake meats holding them together. Most of the brands I mentioned above were staple when I was in school here, only because I didn’t have the time to look for anything different or make one from scratch and were my only go-by for a meatless option, hard to find in most college town fast food joints.

Veggie burgers are a pretty common feature in the Indian fast food restaurant menus and one of my favorite food growing up, so it was no wonder that I was looking for a similar texture and taste in the frozen section. Amy’s California burger came close to the taste …at least it didnt have the heavy soy taste that the others did. But it didn’t pass the lunchbox test. The dryness came back once the burger cooled. I tried making my own, and that worked, but again, making a whole batch of them to use in lunches was a lot of work, so the quest for that perfect frozen burger was still on. And then I found one in Costco. It was recommended to me by a friend when we had a veggie barbecue party at home, and was such a hit, that it’s been staple in my refrigerator ever since. Carrots, bell peppers, potatoes and other veggies make up this burger, and it’s best served grilled. Manufactured by Don Lee Farms, they have a range of meat and meat free products. The best part is, that it doesn’t dry out, probably because it’s thinner, uses vegetables as the biding agent, and doesn’t have the fake meat.

Nikhil, my 7 year old food critic loved it too, so it made it’s way into his laptop lunch, of course! Grilled veggie patty, served on a wheat kaiser roll, with organic hummus,  lettuce, swiss cheese , onion and tomato make this a very wholesome lunchbox staple. Add a banana, some salad greens and yoghurt and you have a nutritous and wholesome lunch.

You would think that 2 whole weeks of being at home during the winter holidays would have resulted in many culinary experiments for Roz Ka Khana. In my case, it’s sadly the opposite. Crazed school day mornings, busy swim and basketball class evenings leave me rushed and stressed but I feel like I always find the time to squeeze in that pistachio cookie or banana-nut muffin as a means to de-stress at that unearthly night hour. I know, it’s quite crazy. But when I had 2 weeks of late, lazy mornings and nothing planned for the day, cooking was the last thing on my mind. And so, when Uma, my good friend, offered to try one of her signature recipes and also offered to come home to make it for us, it was a perfect solution to get me out of my lethargy. Thanks Uma, for the recipe and for snapping us all out of it with your scrumptious brunch recipe.

The bright idea of making this Kerala delicacy came from my husband, Girish, who mentioned it to Uma one afternoon, since we were, as usual, talking about food. We were, actually talking about rare South Indian delicacies, rare, because there is a dearth of South Indian restaurants in Dallas, specifically. So we make do with just talking about it, and craving for it;) Girish was talking about this dish that he had in Toronto, round white lacy, spongy pancakes with a vegetable gravy like dish. You could tell he was reminiscing every little detail though he didn’t remember the name of the restaurant.

Uma is from Palghat or Palakkad, a town in the state of Kerala in South India, that connects Kerala to Tamil Nadu. When she heard about this Aappam craving, she generously suggested that she made it often and would love to make it for him one day. We were shameless enough to keep reminding her about it, so within a week, Uma was home to make it for us and for Roz Ka Khana.

Aappam (Kerala Rice Pancakes)

2 cups idli rice or parboiled rice (available in Indian stores)

2 cups raw rice (Ponni rice or Sona Masoori rice or any kind)

1/2 cup urad dal (skinned black gram – split or whole)

Soak the above for 4-6 hours. Grind to a smooth paste in a grinder or blender. Make sure to keep the batter thick, so don’t add too much water while grinding. Keep the batter in a warm place overnight, to help it ferment. (You can keep it in a warm oven – preheat to 200F and then turn off the oven – and keep the batter in the oven overnight). You can store this fermented batter in the fridge till you want to make hot, fresh, aappams.

On the day of making the aappam, take about 4 big serving spoons of batter in a saucepan, add about 1/8 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 cup coconut milk. You may also add a little water till the batter is of a slightly thin, pouring consistency.

You will need to use a round, deep, preferably non stick vessel to make the appams, like the picture below. Using a dab of oil on a paper towel, wipe the vessel so it is coated with a thin coating of oil.

When the vessel is hot, pour the dough slowly, from the rim all around, until the vessel is completely coated with the dough. You may also swing the vessel in a circular motion so is gets completely coated.

Cover with a lid and leave for a minute or two. When the aappam is cooked completely, the edges get a little golden and it starts to leave the sides of the pan. When you hold the vessel sideways, the completely cooked aappam will just slide off on its own. Serve with hot vegetable stew.

Vegetable stew (to serve 8 )

Potatoes – 2, sliced lengthwise

Onions – 1 1/2, sliced lengthwise

Carrots – 2 or about 6-8 baby carrots, julienne cut

French beans – 12, julienne cut

Zucchini – 1 , chopped into small lengthwise bits

Ginger – 2″, grated

Green chilies – 6-8, sliced lengthwise

Coconut milk – 1 can

1. Heat a kadai or heavy bottomed vessel. Add 1 tbsp oil.

2. Add crushed ginger and green chilies and saute for 2 minutes

3. Add onions and saute again for about a minute or two. Make sure not to brown the onions, it has to just cook until glazed.

4. Now add the carrots, beans, potatoes and zucchini. Add about a cup water, some turmeric and salt. Cover with a lid and let boil until the vegetables are just cooked. Make sure not to overcook.

5. Lastly add the can of coconut milk to the stew. Simmer for a few minutes and then turn off the stove.

6. Garnish with chopped curry leaves. Serve hot with aappam.

The latest issue of Vegetarian Times magazine did the needful to get me back in the groove of cooking and yes, blogging! I just returned from a 2 week trip to India, hence the long almost 4 week silence. Well, given the lapses between my entries normally, it’s not that much of a silence, do I hear folks say;) Let’s just say I’m my own critic so it’s my guilty conscience at work here. India was hectic, as always, but this particular trip was special and actually helped me shut off mentally, so getting back in the humdrum of work, home and roz ka khana was a little more difficult than I thought. I needed more than just an inspiration this time to get me to be myself again.

I’d recently signed up for a subscription to the magazine to put a stop to the number of times I’d almost “sneaked” it out from the doctor’s offices or from waiting rooms at my son’s classes. I was quite intrigued by the magazine but was hesitant to cough up the $15 for the subscription. A quick search for deals found me a link to the subscription for $4.95 for not one but a 2 year subscription. I haven’t received my first issue yet, but a few recipes in the September issue were tempting enough and I caved in and actually bought the issue at the local store. $4.95 for one issue vs a 2 year subscription. I told myself it was still a deal. Doesn’t sound like quite the inspirational story but it was enough to get me to start my food shopping.

The feature on the enchiladas hit the spot for me. We had it for lunch today with a side of Sprouts and Grapes salad and I think the lunch combo hit the spot for everyone else too;)

Here’s the recipe by freelance writer Juston McCarter and chef Donna Meadows in the Sep 08 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. In the writer’s words…Fresh poblano chiles and dried New Mexican chiles give these enchiladas a spicy, smoky flavor that’s not too hot.

I confess that I “spiced” it a little more to suit our ”extra-spicy” craving taste buds with some cayenne pepper and small green chiles (can also use serrano peppers) for a little more kick. Please note that these 2 ingredients are purely optional and only if you like your food “extra-spicy”.

Ingredients for sauce:

Olive oil – 1tbsp

1 small onion- chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp)

2 oz dried New mexican chiles, halved, stemmed and deseeded

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 tsp cayenne pepper powder (red chili pd) – optional

For enchiladas:

6 Poblano chiles

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp)

1 1/2 cups queso fresco (cubed or crumbled)

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

12 6 inch corn tortillas

Method for enchilada sauce:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil 5-7 minutes, or until soft.

2. Add dried New Mexico chiles, and saute for a few more minutes.

3. Now stir in tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes till the chiles get soft.

4. Remove from heat, cool then puree in blender till smooth.

Method for making enchiladas:

1. Preheat oven to broil. Place poblano chiles on a baking sheet and broil for 15-20 minutes, till it gets blackened on all sides. Make sure to turn often so it gets cooked evenly. Cool in a bowl, peel off the sking and remove seeds. Chop into 1/4 inch pieces.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onions and garlic till a little soft.

3. Transfer this to a mixing bowl, and to this add the chopped roasted poblano peppers. To this, also add the queso fresco, and the monterey jack cheese, cilantro and chopped green chiles or serrano peppers (optional)

4. Heat the oven to 375F. Take the corn tortillas on a baking sheet and warm for about 3 minutes in the oven till soft.

5. Now take a 13×9 baking dish and spread one cup of the prepared enchilada sauce at the bottom.

6. Take each corn tortilla, spoon the cheese and chile mixture into it and loosely roll it. Place the filled tortillas on the sauce in the baking dish.

7. Spoon the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on it.

8. Bake the tortillas in the dish for about 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve. You may also add shredded serrano peppers for extra extra spice;)

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Having spent half of my formative years in Hyderabad, I’m what you may call a Tamil Born (not) Confused Hyderabadi Living in the US! I just made that up…but seriously, I am quite proud to call myself a Hyderabadi, or half Hyderabadi! Some of my best friends are from Hyderabad and I’ve definitely imbibed a taste for pappus (lentils) and pachadis (chutneys) and pulusus (stews?). I believe that Indian cookery’s flavorful and some very creative concoctions come from Andhra Pradesh.

So it was one morning at breakfast at my dear friend Radhika’s house that she made dosas (Indian pancakes) and asked us to taste this new pachadi (chutney) that she had got from her sis-in-law. It was what you might call a true Southern Spice creation. Incidentally, that’s also the name of a famous restaurant from Hyderabad.

She made the culinary experience even more intriguing by asking us to guess the ingredients in the chutney. We assumed it was something generic like ridged gourd or peanuts. Turns out the chutney was made with cauliflower stems and leaves, and scraps of bell peppers. Basically, leftovers from an earlier cauliflower-bell pepper vegetable recipe. The gracious cook that she is, Radhika shared my enthusiasm and made this at my house just for roz ka khana. Thanks, Radhika for your support being such a great friend!

You could practically experiment this chutney with other vegetables as well. I think poblano peppers may work very well too. Let me know if you do try other variations.

She also made a tomato chutney that follows this recipe.

 Ingredients:

Bell pepper 1/2

Medium sized cauliflower stem – 1

Green chilies (Thai peppers) – 10. We like our food spicy but you can adjust this quantity to taste

Tamarind – lime sized ball

Oil – 3 tsp

To be ground:

Urad dal – 2 tsp

Chana dal – 3 tbsp

Peanuts (roasted) – 1 tbsp

Dhania (coriander) - 1 tbsp

Dry red chilies – 8

Garlic – 4 pods peeled

1. Take a little oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and saute all the above (for grinding) except the green chilies and the vegetables .

2. Now saute the green chilies, cauliflower stem and the bell pepper separately in a skillet, until cooked and a little soft.

3. Take the tamarind in a microwaveable container, add a little water and microwave on High for 15 secs.

4. Grind the ingredients for the powder (step1 ) finely.

5. Now add the sauteed vegetables to this mixture, add 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt to taste. Grind again while adding some of the tamarind paste.

6. Add 1 tbsp chopped cilantro to this paste.

For popu or tadka:

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal

Garlic – 1pod peeled

Curry leaves – a few

Heat some oil in a small pan, and add the above ingredients when the oil is hot. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, switch off the heat and pout the tadka on the finished chutney. Serve with dosas, idli or mix wirh hot rice.

I do realize I haven’t populated the comfort food section in a while. Well, I haven’t blogged in a while , if you could call 12 days ” a while” that is. I suppose it is a long time, for something that warrants “everyday” cooking.

We had our 9 year old nephew visit from India, and while that meant two boisterous boys (including mine),  running around the house, it also meant having to come up with some creative ways to feed them both and fuel all that energy. As with most kids, vegetables were challenging, and I was looking for ways to dot the daily menu with some, while sneaking some in other dishes.

Anusuya’s kitchen had the perfect answer, as always. It’s quite obvious from her previous recipes, that she somehow has that perfect balance between scrumptious and healthy. Whole wheat, low fat, low oil are some key words in her kitchen. Of course, there are always “treats” in store, with her desserts and other signature dishes, and I will try to share them all, as and when she chooses to share them with me.

Here’s a sweet corn soup recipe that’s a favorite of her family, and this is what I “tried” on the kids one evening. May sound cliched, but as with all her recipes so far, it was a hit! The kids downed the corn soup with french bread and actually asked for more. What more could I ask for?

Ingredients:

1 pack frozen corn or 3-4 fresh corn, kernels removed and steamed

2 Jalapenos (I retained the seeds, but if you like it less spicy, de-seed them)

1/2 Vidalia onion (chopped into chunks)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tbsp butter

1/2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

1. Take a heavy bottomed saucepan and melt the butter and oil.

2. When the oil is hot, add the onions along with the jalapenos. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the corn kernels. You may want to reserve a few kernels for later to add some chunky texture to the soup, but that’s optional.

4. Add 2 cups of water to this mixture and let it boil. Remove from the stove and cool.

5. Now take the mixture in a blender and puree it to a paste like consistency.

6. Take the puree in another heavy vessel or a dutch oven. Add the reserved corn, milk, soy sauce and salt to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

7. Serve hot, garnished with scallion leaves (I was out of the leaves, as you can tell from the picture), and with a side of toasted french bread. I added some garlic butter on the bread as well. Or you could just use store bought garlic bread. Enjoy!

You’ve probably heard of writer’s block. But is there a term called ”a cooking block”? No, not the kind you’d find in a kitchen..you get the idea. Can you tell by the new phrases I’m coming up with that I have a serious case of a writer’s or whateveryoumaycallit block?

There are some days when inspiration is hard to come by and weeks go by without anything interesting to cook and hence without a new post. A cooking block in my case is also a writer’s block. When I started rozkakhana, the intent was to post a recipe a day, at least. That’s what it literally meant…roz, or everyday food. It’s not been that easy, as you can see with the spacing of the posts, but I’m trying to get myself to post at least one a week. Hmm..hafthe (week) ka khana? I did warn you about my writer’s block.

I’m faced with these blocks sometimes, especially when I’m stuck with an ingredient that only gives me enough enthusiasm to take it out of my crisper, stare at it, and put it back. Spinach is one of those vegetables that I cannot get creative with. Everytime I buy fresh spinach from the farmer’s market or the grocery store, the intent is to infuse some healthful bounty in my cooking. But it almost always leads to wilted spinach leaves in the fridge and the same dishes that I end up making out of desperation. I’ve tried Palak Panneer (spinach with cottage cheese) or Andhra style Palak Pappu (from Indira’s blog at Mahanandi that I make quite often), or boring(to me!) Keerai Koottu (Spinach Dal, Tamil style). Don’t get me wrong, there are days when keerai koottu with sambar or kozhambu (stew) is all I will crave for, but it does get tired that those are the only dishes that come to mind.

So it was perfect timing that I tasted this tasty spinach concoction at my friend Aparna’s house. I know, the inspiration sources from friend’s houses sounds redundant, but again, that’s how it almost always strikes.  I guess I’m just lucky to have such great cooks as friends. There it was…Aparna’s palak soya sabzi (curry) packed with all the goodness of spinach and the added protein boost with the soy granules. It was tasty of course, as with all of Aparna’s delicacies, but there was another incentive for me to try this dish the very next day. The fact that my son, Nikhil, asked for seconds! Spinach has never been his favorite as I’m sure with many kids, but here he was asking if he could take it for his school lunch. Here’s the recipe…quick, easy and very healthy.

Ingredients:

Fresh spinach leaves – a bunch

Red onions – 1

Ginger paste – 1 tsp

Garlic paste – 1/2 to 1 tsp

Soy granules – 1/2 cup

Chili powder – 1 tsp (or less according to taste)

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

1. Soak the soy granules in water for about 10-15 minutes. Drain and squeeze the water out.

2. Take the oil in a pan, add the chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes.

3. Add the ginger and garlic paste, saute for a few more minutes.

4. Now add the fresh chopped spinach leaves. Stir fry for a few more minutes until the spinach looks wilted.

5. Add the soy granules, salt and chili powder. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Enjoy with chapatis or hot rice.

Optional: You could also add chopped tomato at the last step and cook for a few more minutes. I did not add it here but the dish I tasted at Aparna’s had tomatoes in it.

I credit this recipe to my dear friend Uma. I have always thought that she  was good at adding the “Kerala touch” to her South indian recipes, now I can’t name that exact ingredient which provides that  flavor, so I just try to emulate her method of making the vazhakkai, mor kuzhambu etc to hopefully give it a similar taste.

Vazhakkai is also known as green banana or raw plantain and is famous in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, especially Kerala, home to many vazhakkai delicacies. I was never a big fan of vazhakkai growing up, as the few ways I’d eaten them was in a mushy mass with some coconut added. The other palatable variety was to eat it as a “fry” or chop the plantains in pieces and fry it the usual South Indian style, but again, it didn’t inspire me enough to ever debut this vegetable in my kitchen.

Uma’s method of making podimas was unique, at least to me, so I decided to try it for the first time a couple of weeks ago when I made mor kuzhambu (South Indian style kadhi). The result was a great, tasty twist to vazhakkai, definitely not that mushy mass, and a perfect accompaniment to mor kuzhambu. The only thing I will change when I make it again, is to not cook it for too long as it tends to get dry.

Ingredients:

Green bananas/plantains (available in the Indian grocery stores. Not to be confused with the yellow plantains) – 3

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2-3 tbsp

Green chilies – 3-4

Oil – 1 tbsp

1. Chop the bananas in half and cut off the ends.

2. Immerse them in water and bring to boil for a few minutes. You can cover the pot if you want to cook the bananas, but make sure not to overcook. The skin of the bananas turns dark and you will see the skin separate a little from the flesh.

3. Cook the bananas completely and peel them.

4. Using a grater, grate all the boiled bananas and keep them aside.

5. Grind the coconut and green chilies to a coarse paste. You may use a little water if needed.

5. In a pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. When the seeds splutter, add the grated bananas, and then the coconut-chili paste.

6. Saute this mixture on a low flame for about 5-7 minutes till the bananas are evenyl seasoned.

7. You may add the juice of half a lime/lemon to taste. This step is optional depending on your liking to add some sourness to this dish. I didn’t add the lime juice the first time, but will do it the next time to see if it makes this dish more moist.

This is best enjoyed with rice and mor kuzhambu or South indian (Kerala) style kadhi (buttermilk stew), which was our lunch that day. Mor Kuzahmbu is another of Uma’s famous dishes, the recipe of which I will post shortly.

As I mentioned earlier, this blog is all about recipes old, borrowed and inspired, and umm..some original ones in between. Now I have have always enjoyed reading food blogs, recipes and indulging in conversations around cooking, it was more than ever now that I started this food journal. It’s almost like every conversation these days sparks an idea to try something new and it’s amazing how inspiration can strike. Sometimes it’s from a restaurant menu, lunches and dinners at friend’s houses or just plain food talk!

So I was out at lunch with my “lunch buddy” at work, Padma, at a soup and sandwich place, and sure enough, our talk meandered to good food combinations. I think for me, it was more because my soup was a little bland for my taste, so I figured that talk about spicy food might make it better? So Padma got talking about the quick and easy eggplant curry she had made the previous evening and how good it tasted with hot, steaming white rice. I have to add that she is not only a good cook but an eloquent foodie…it tempted me enough to try it at home the very evening. Padma is from Andhra hence the original name of the recipe..Vankaya Kothmir Karam. Thank you, Padma for your contribution to this blog.

Ingredients:

Small eggplant (7-8), chopped into cubes

I also tried this recipe with the long Japanese eggplant and did not find much difference in taste except that the long ones cook faster. Any guesses for which one I recommend for this already quick recipe?

Green chilies – 4-5 (depending on how spicy you want the dish to be)

Cilantro – a big bunch

Oil – 1 tbsp

1. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel or kadai and add the 1 tbsp oil.

2. When the oil is hot, add the chopped eggplant to it. Turn the flame to medium heat and let the eggplant saute in the oil for a while, till it starts to look a little mushy and the oil starts to seep.

3. In the interim, grind the cilantro and green chilies to a fine paste  with some salt in a blender.

4. Now add the cilantro paste to the cooked eggplant and simmer on low fire for about 10 minutes till well cooked.

5. Enjoy with steaming hot rice!

The recipe does not call for any tadka or seasoning, as the cilantro-green chilies provide all the flavor for this dish.

(I couldn’t get a great picture of the finished dish. The last picture with the cilantro paste is not of the finished dish but just minutes after I added the cilantro paste. You will need to cook it for about 10 minutes more after adding the paste!)

This dal dish is one that I learnt from my mil. The lemon juice and green chilies in this dish impart a very tangy and spicy twist to this everyday dal (or koottu in Tamil).

 Ingredients:

Ridged gourd – 2, peeled and chopped into small pieces

Urad dal – 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana dal (yellow pigeon peas) – 1 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp

Ginger, chopped – 1 tsp

Juice of half a lemon

Cilantro – 2 tsp chopped

1 cup boiled and mashed toor dal

Oil - 1 tsp

Heat the oil in a kadhai or heavy bottomed vessel. Add the mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, chana dal, and curry leaves. Wait for the mustard seeds to crackle, then add the chopped ginger and green chilies. Fry for about 2-3 minutes and then add the ridged gourd pieces. Saute for about 5-7 minutes until the ridged gourd looks a little transparent and feel soft to the ladle, and all the water evaporates. This step may take a little time. Make sure to completely cook the ridged gourd. Now add the boiled and mashed toor dal to this mixture. Add  a little water if needed (about half cup). I usually add a little turmeric powder to the toor dal, but if not, you may add the turmeric powder here.

Let the dal boil a little (about 5 minutes). Turn off the stove and add the juice of half a lemon. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with steamed white rice.

This was just a very slight variation from the usual potato fry or alu pyaaz sabzi. Just that I didn’t have the usual Idaho potatoes in my pantry. Making do with the small red potatoes, I figured they were also easier to cook, since the skin is so much thinner than the usual potatoes. Also, it’s not absolutely necessary to peel the skin, though we know that keeping the skin on helps retain the nutrients. Overall it was a time saver, which as I said earlier, are the buzz words in my kitchen, so red potatoes and spring onions was the sabzi (vegetable) for the day. Spring onion gave this sabzi an extra bite which was an added benefit. The recipe I have here is for the usual South Indian style, but I also tried it with garam masala and tawa fry masala and the result was as tasty. You can’t go wrong with potatoes anyway! 

Ingredients 

Small red potatoes – 8

Spring onions – 2 bunches

Oil – 1 tbsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Chana dal – 1 tsp

Chili powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp (optional)

Salt to taste 

Heat the oil in a flat bottomed vessel. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and chana dal. Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter. Then add the spring onions and sauté till they glaze. (You can also add grated ginger and grated garlic here if you would like, I didn’t for the South Indian style method)Add the cubed/chopped red potatoes. Add the turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. (Add garam masala and tawa fry masala here if making the North Indian style, and dhania powder if needed, 1 tsp each)Cook this on a very slow fire for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally till the potatoes have a perfect golden hue. Enjoy with rice or chapathis.