Potato Bhaji Recipe

I’m posting another recipe for “Operation Learn to Cook Like Mom.” Flavorful, vegetarian and cheap Indian food. ‘Nuf said.

Today’s dish is the potato recipe that my family eats with Kadhi.

---

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 medium-sized potatoes

2 medium-sized onions

2 chilies (or to taste)

one sprig of curry leaves

Spices

salt to taste

1/4 tsp of turmeric

1/4 tsp of mustard seeds

1/4 tsp of cumin seeds

1/2 tsp of chili powder (or to taste)

3 tbsp oil (1 tbsp per potato)

A couple of sprigs of cilantro (not pictured, sorry)

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. If you cut them in half widthwise, they don’t cook as evenly.
2. Submerge the three medium-sized potatoes in water in a large pot.
3. Boil the water on the stove.
4. When you can easily poke fork tines through the potatoes, they are done.
5. It should take about 12 minutes or so.
6. Drain the water from the cooked potatoes and let cool.
7. Dice the onions and the chili pepper finely.
8. Pour oil in a pan on medium heat.
9. Add the mustard seeds to the oil.
10. Let the mustard seeds cook until you hear them “pop.”
11. Add the cumin seeds to the oil.
12. Let cook for a minute.
13. Add the diced onions, chilies and curry leaves to the oil.
14. Let cook until the onions are translucent.
15. Add the salt, chili powder and turmeric to the pan.
16. Let cook for a minute.
17. Peel and dice the cooked potatoes.
18. Add the potatoes and the cilantro to the pan.
19. Stir well.
20. Let cook for a few minutes while stirring occasionally.
21. Enjoy with kadhi and basmati rice.
22. And thecha on the side if you’re so inclined.

Price: $1.27

If anything, I’m exaggerating on the prices (especially the spices) below. Ethnic grocery stores, people! It’s the wave of the future.

• 3 medium-sized potatoes – $0.35
• 2 medium-sized onions – $0.20
• 2 chilies – $0.37
• one sprig of curry leaves – $0.05*
• 1/4 tsp of turmeric – $0.01
• 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds – $0.01
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds – $0.01
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder (or to taste) – $0.01
• salt to taste – $0.01
• 3 tbsp of olive oil – $0.25

*As an example of the wonder of the ethnic store: In the kadhi recipe I posted, I listed the curry leaves as $0.40. I got that price from Amazon.com. The price listed here is from the ethnic grocery store. Although the actual curry leaves I actually used were from my mother’s curry plants and cost less than a penny.

As I mentioned above, we usually eat this with kadhi and basmatic rice. A meal for a family of four: $1.27+$1.00 + $0.75 (1 cup of Basmati rice) = $3.02

Acceptable deviations

1. You can ditch the cilantro
2. You can use different kinds of potatoes.