How to make Chilli Potato - an Indo Chinese Vegan dish

Chili potato is an Indo Chinese cuisine which is liked by all ages. This can be used as a starter or a side dish. To make healthier preparation we can roast or grill the potatoes, The recipe described here is more traditional spicy one though. 

Preparation Time: - 10~12 min

Cooking Time: - 20~25 min

Servings: - 3~4 persons

Ingredients:

1. 250 gm. or 3 large Potato.
   
2. 2 tbsp Corn Starch/ Corn flour or Unbleached organic plain flour
3. 4 chopped Garlic
4. 1 medium Onion
5. 1 small or ½ medium Capsicum
6. 2 green chili slitted
7. 1 tbsp.  Soya sauce
8. 1 ½ tsp Tomato Sauce
9. ½ tsp Chili sauce
10. ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder
11. ½ tsp Vinegar
12. ½ tsp Black pepper
13. 7 tbsp. Vegetable Oil ( I used Sunflower oil but you can use any vegetable oil )
14. Salt as needed
15. 2 tsp molten butter (optional)

Preparation:-

1. In a bowl mix half the corn flour with little water and salt to form a thick paste. It should coat the potatoes firmly.
2. Chop onion, garlic and Crush the cardamom in pestle and mortar and keep aside.
3. Wash and peel potatoes and cut into lengthwise thinly. Mix with the corn flour so that the potatoes get a firm coating.
   
4. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and once heated shallow fry the coated potatoes so they turn golden brown.
   
5. Drain the excess oil in tissue paper and keep aside.
6. In same tawa or frying pan, heat 4 tbsp oil
7. Put the chopped garlic and sauté for a while.
8. Now add chopped onion and mix. Fry till the onion becomes translucent and slightly brown
   
9. Add capsicum and green chili - mix well.
   
10. Simultaneously add the remaining corn flour to one cup of water – stir until no lumps remain. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, soya sauce and chili sauce to form a spicy sweet mixture
11. Once capsicum is fried pour this mixture to the kadai /frying pan.
    
12. Adjust salt level, add Kashmiri red chili powder. Continue cooking.
13. When the mixture started boiling add the potato. Stir gently and mix well. Cook until the gravy becomes thick
14. Sprinkle black pepper powder and add molten butter. Mix everything together.
    
15. Turn the burner off. Your dish is ready to serve.

Serve hot as a starter or side dish to Noodles or flavored rice. 

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Best Wishes for my readers on the occasion of Saraswati Puja and Vasant Panchami

Best Wishes to all of you who follow this blog and hope you may followed some of my recipes here and they are useful to you.

Spanish Omlette ( Tortilla Española ) in Indian way

Spanish omelette is the English name for a traditional dish from Spanish cuisine called tortilla española, tortilla de patatas or tortilla de papas. It is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, sometimes also with onion and/or chives or garlic; fried in oil and often served cold as an appetizer or as a whole dish for breakfast. It is very nutrituous for the kids - a healthy, easy but yummy solution for kids. My family loves it in winter and here is the way I cook it. This may not be traditional method for making Spanish omlette – actually I modified it to suit Indian taste buds. Anyway, this is a yummy dish and here is the recipe.  

Preparation Time: - 15 min

Cooking Time: - 30~35 min

Servings: - 4 persons

Ingredients:-

1. 2 nos. Large Potatoes
   
2. 1 medium Onion
3. ½ medium  Green Capsicum
4. 1 Green Chilli ( you can use more if you are spice lover)
5. A few chopped Coriander leaves (optional)
6. 1 Cheese slice torn into small bits (optional)
7. 3 tbsp Olive Oil ( or 4 tbsp Sunflower / canola oil)
8. 6 nos. Eggs
9. Salt to taste
10. ½ tsp Whole Black Pepper Corns

Preparation:-

1. Boil the potatoes, peel them and cut into thin slices.
2. Chop the onion and capsicum. Please keep the seeds of capsicum.
3. Crush the black pepper corns with the help of mortar and pestle. You can use the ready-made pepper powder also but the taste would be better if you use pepper corns.
4. Chop the green chilli and coriander leaves. I did not use coriander leaves but if you love coriander you may use this.
   
5. Beat the eggs in a bowl.
6. Add salt & ¼ tsp pepper and beat it again. You may use a hand blender to beat it smoothly and quickly.
   
7. Add the coriander leaves if you want. I did not use this. Mix again and keep aside.
8. Heat 2 ½ tbsp. Olive oil or 3 tbsp Sunflower / Canola oil in a non-stick pan. Since Olive oil spreads more you may need less oil. In fact the original Spanish Omelette goes well with olive oil only. But you can use any vegetable oil.
9. Add the onion first and then the potato pieces. Sauté for a minute or two.
10. Add capsicum, green chilli, rest of the black pepper and bits of cheese slices (optional – I did not use this)
    
11. Cook for 8~10 minutes till the potatoes and onion turn golden brown.
12. Pour this in a bowl, drain the excess oil if any and keep aside.
13. Mix the vegetables with the beaten eggs and stir to make a smooth batter.
    
14. Heat ½ tbsp. olive oil or 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the previous non-stick pan and pour the batter.
    
15. Fry for about 10 minutes over a moderate heat, making sure that you shake the pan frequently to prevent the omelette from sticking with the bottom of pan.
16. When the bottom portion becomes firm and the top is not so jiggly loosen the bottom of the omelette using a flat spatula to release the edges. Turn the omelets over by placing a large plate over the frying pan and flipping over, then put back into the pan. 
    
17. Cover and cook the other side of the omlette for about 8~10 min.  
18. Alternatively Pre heat your Oven at 180 degree Celsius or 350 degree Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, put the pan inside the oven and bake for 10~12 min.
19. Keep the omlette on the pan for 5 minutes to cool.
20. Your yummy omlette is ready to be served.
    

Cut it into pieces and serve hot or cold as per your choice. You can add a smoothie along with this one for a wholesome breakfast experience. You can refer to my Breakfast smoothie with peanut butter and almond for Smoothie. Alternatively you can serve it cold with salads in lunch.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.