POTATO MASALA FRY WITH LIME

POTATO MASALA FRY WITH LIME: Potatoes has always been one of my favourite vegetables. I just love its taste especially when you season it with salt and chilli. Just these two ingredients and it taste so great. This masala fry has been a result of my love for potatoes, masala and of course the taste and smell of fennel seeds. The smell and taste of the fennel seeds is so kind of addictive. The secret actually is that it has the smell and taste of meat masala. This is the prime ingredient in it. And each time you get the smell, you actually think of the spicy meat curries....yum!

The potato masala fry is a simple and easy thing to make. You may use it as a side dish or use as a salad (when we went to a restaurant they had potato salad and it was made with masala). But that was too hot. The thing that would give a twist to this fry is the use of lime juice. So here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Potato – 1 large

Red Onion – 1 small

Fennel seeds – ½ teaspoon

Red chilli to season

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Garam Masala Powder – 2 pinches

Salt to taste

Lime juice – 5 to 6 drops or the juice of 1 small lime

Oil – 1 to 2 tablespoon

Coriander leaf to garnish

METHOD:

Clean and dice the potato. Thin slice the red onion. 

Take a pan and heat some oil. Add the diced potatoes and salt and cook till almost done. 

Add fennel seeds. Cook till potatoes are done.Add the onions and sauté.

 Add turmeric powder and sauté. Add chilli powder and sauté. Add garam masala and sauté. 

Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves. Drizzle or squeeze the lemon on top. 

  Serve hot!

NB: The chilli powder, garam masala powder and turmeric have to be put and sauté separately so that it gets uniformly spread. Make sure no lime seeds fall into the fry. 

LEMON RASAM or LEMON SOUP

LEMON RASAM or LEMON SOUP: This rasam has entertained our taste buds for generations. This has always been one of my favourites. The moment when you crave for a hot, salty and tangy food....this is the perfect one. It is very easy. It takes just few minutes. It is also the easiest dish you could make when all the side dish for your rice is dry and you need something to make it wet. My father’s mother used to make it and my mom also makes it. Obviously my mom learned it from her. And I learned it from my mom.

If you are wondering what rasam is.....rasam is a south Indian soup or juice made with spices and vegetables. It normally is very hot and tangy and watery. So let’s cut short the talk and move on to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Lemon – 1 medium size

Oil - ½ tablespoon

Mustard seeds – ¼ tablespoon

Curry leaves – a sprig

Shallots or small onions – 1 sliced into thin pieces (optional)

Water

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut and squeeze the lemon. Remove all the seeds from the lemon juice. Add water and salt to it. 

Take a small vessel and heat oil in it. Splutter the mustard seeds and add shallots and curry leaves. Sauté till the shallots turn brown. 

Add chilli powder and lemon juice immediately. Reduce the heat. When the rasam becomes warm, turn off the stove and Serve!

NB: Add approximately 150 to 200 ml of water. Just ensure that tanginess of the lemon should be felt. Do not boil the rasam. Prepare this on low heat or else the chilli powder may get burnt.