Baked Jacket Potatoes

Everyone loves potatoes, I love them fried but also baked. Most of the time the potatoes I get are just small to medium sized, but when I do get nice chunky potatoes, baked jackets are on the menu.

You'll need:

4 large potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup cheese (any sort)
1/2 cup cooked meat or cold cut (optional)
Seasoning
Cayenne pepper to sprinkle


Clean and parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes in the microwave. They should be soft enough to just scoop out the flesh but not cooked.

Cut in half and scoop out the flesh as close to the skin as possible without the jacket breaking. You can use the scooped out potatoes to make mashed potatoes or for any other dish.

Coat the jackets (inside and out) with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Bake at 180 deg C for 30 minutes, or till it starts to brown slightly.

Take out from the oven and fill the jackets with toppings of choice. Bake for another 10-15 minutes till the cheese starts to brown.

Serve as a snack or side dish with relish or mustard sauce.

Dum Aaloo (Potato Curry)

I try to avoid potatoes in my everyday meals but that doesn't mean we don't love it. I found this recipe that is a great hit when you have people over. It goes well with pulao or rotis.

For the Masala:

1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander seeds (it has more flavour than the powder)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 green cardamom, whole
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cloves
1/4 cup cashew nuts

Grind these together and keep aside.

You'll also need:
8 medium-sized potatoes boiled and peeled
1 onion, chopped

Paste of 1/4 inch ginger and 4 garlic pods

3/4 cup yoghurt
1 bay leaf
1 pinch asafoetida
1/4 cup cooking oil

Salt to taste

1/2 cup water

1/2 tbsp kasturi methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

Halve the potatoes if they are too big, and shallow fry them in a pan till lightly browned. Add some salt and keep aside.

In a large pan or wok, heat the oil and temper with the bay leaf and asafoetida. 

Then add the onions and stir fry. Once they start turning translucent, add the ginger and garlic.

Add the dry masala and cook for about a minute.

Add the yoghurt and mix well, stirring at all times.

Finally add the cooked potatoes, salt to taste, and the kasturi methi.

Add water and let it cook till the gravy is reduced to a desired consistency.

Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

Veggie Burgers with Beets and Carrots

I found another way I can include beets in my diet - apparently it tastes good to me when it is masked by several other flavours.

I usually use beans instead of potatoes in my burger but this recipe tastes better with potato. I also added eggs to keep it moist and to bind it well, but it can be skipped. If you feel it doesn't mould well without the egg - just add more potato.

This recipe made 10 medium-sized patties

You'll need
2-3 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 small beets, peeled and grated
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 bowl of stringed beans, finely chopped 
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I just used crushed bread sticks)
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
2-3 tbsp oil to cook
Seasoning

In an oven, grill the beets, carrots, and beans till soft. I used a convection microwave on grill setting and it took me 14 minutes - at the halfway mark I took out the plate to stir so that the top layer doesn't get too dry.

Mash the potatoes, add the grilled vegetables, eggs, garlic, half of the breadcrumbs, and the seasoning. I used white pepper and salt.

Divide these into palm-sized balls and flatten them with your hand to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Coat each patty with the breadcrumbs.

If you're grilling them on a pan, heat some oil and gently place the patty in. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes. Don't keep turning it.

If using a convection microwave oven, use a baking-safe flat tray and drizzle with some oil. Brush some oil on the top as well On the grill setting, grill for 8-10 minutes. Then take out the tray, flip the patties and if they seem too dry then drizzle some more oil. Cook for another 8-10 minutes till the it is golden-brown.

For the assembly
10 burger buns
10 leaves of lettuce
Slices of onions and tomato (or use caramelized onions)
Mustard sauce
Pesto
Cheese slices

If you don't mind soft buns then you can just assemble the burger like a sandwich. I prefer the buns toasted.

Slice the buns, and toast them on a pan. If using the grill, place the lower half of the bun facing up with a slice of cheese, and place the top half facing down. Grill for 3-4 minutes making sure they don't get too toasty or it'll break up when you eat.

You can use either pesto or mustard, or both on each side of the bread. Add in the other elements being careful not to overload.

Serve immediately. Don't keep it assembled too long or it'll get soggy.

Roasted Potatoes

These are quick to prepare and easy to make with just a few ingredients.

You'll need:
500 gms potatoes 
2 carrots (cleaned and peeled)
A few sprigs of Rosemary or Sage
1 large Onion (peeled and cut in half)
3-4 cloves of Garlic
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
Seasoning

1. Par boil the potatoes (I put it in the microwave for about 5 minutes) - this apparently helps in absorption of flavours.
2. In a pan, heat the oil on high heat, add the garlic and herb of choice, quickly add the potatoes and carrots making sure they're coated in the oil. Season and remove from heat after 2 minutes.
3. Put everything in a baking pan and add the onion. Make sure the pan is big enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. They shouldn't be on top of each other else, it will not roast properly.
4. Put in a pre-heated oven to 200 deg C for about 40 minutes. Serve hot

Baby Potatoes with Mustard Salad

This is a quick and easy recipe for a starter or salad...when you want some variety for your guests but don't to spend the whole day in the kitchen. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge.

You'll need:
500gms baby potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp mustard (I like the grainy variety)
Salt/pepper to taste
2 tbsp thick yogurt (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Small bunch of chives or coriander (optional)

Wash the potatoes, cut them in half, and boil them in salted water till they are cooked (but not mushy). Remove from water and let it cool. Pat dry (if required) before adding the mustard and other seasonings.

Chickpea Curry with Fries

This was a very easy and very quick dinner option for a day when I just didn't have the time or patience to cook. I used canned chickpeas, but if you've had the foresight to soak the some overnight, it doesn't take long to boil in the pressure cooker either.

For the potatoes:
2-3 small potatoes, sliced length ways (no need to peel the skin off)
1 tsp whole cumin 
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp dry mango powder 
1 tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)
2-3 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
3-4 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add the cumin and let it cook till it sizzles. Add the potatoes and coat with the oil. Add the rest of the spices and cook on medium to high heat till potatoes are cooked. It takes about 10 minutes. Make sure they don't burn. Turn the heat down if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

For the chickpeas:
1 can chickpeas, drained (or a handful of chickpeas soaked overnight, then boiled till soft)
1 red onion
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or use 1tsp each of chopped fresh ginger and garlic)
2 tomatoes
2 green chilies, chopped
1 tsp whole cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
Coriander to garnish

In a hand-held chopper, blitz the onion and tomatoes separately. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium to high heat. Add the cumin. Once it starts to sizzle, add the chilies and the ginger-garlic paste. Stir for about 30 seconds then add the onions. Once they start to turn golden, add the tomatoes and cook till the water evaporates. Add the dry spices and salt, and cook for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the chickpeas and mix till they're coated well in the curry.

To serve, place the chickpea curry in a bowl, top with the fries, and garnish with coriander. You can even add a splash of lemon juice. Serve with flat bread or rice.

Hash Browns

On the topic of breakfast, here's another favourite.

Half boil 2-3 potatoes (don't cook them completely else the hash browns won't get crisp).

Let them cool then peel the skin off. Grate the potatoes and add some salt/pepper and 2-3 tbsps of oil.

Take a handful of the mixture, squeeze it into a ball so that it sicks and flatten it out on a pan or baking tray.

You could cook it on a pan or bake it for 20 min in a preheated oven at 180 deg C.