Chilli Potato Fingers

One of the most popular dishes in Indian-Chinese cuisine is the Chilli Potato. I call it Chilli Potato Fingers because I use the French fries cutter to make the fingers. This way I can have uniform size of the vegetable and I can effortlessly cut large number of potatoes in no time. It also helps in cooking the vegetable uniformly. It is a very popular party dish and sometimes when I am in a hurry, I use the frozen fries to make it.

Ingredients:

5 large potatoes (I have used Idaho)
Dry corn flour to dust the potatoes
Canola oil to deep fry
1 cup green bell pepper julliens
1/2 cup spring onions, finely sliced
4 tbsp canola oil

For the sauce, mix in a bowl:

3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce(red chili sauce)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp raw brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste

To be finely chopped

1 full bulb of garlic
3-4 green chillies
3" ginger
1/2 cup coriander leaves.

Method:

1. Peel and wash the potatoes and cut it into fingers. Dry the washed potato fingers and coat well with dry cornflour powder.
2. Heat oil and deep fry the dusted potato fingers till it is golden brown. Drain on a kitchen towel.

3. Heat a wok on high flame and add canola oil. Fry the chopped ginger-garlic-green chillies for a minute.

4. Now add the sliced bell pepper and the spring onions. Fry for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the prepared sauce and fry for a minute. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
6. Add the potato fingers and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

7. Enjoy with fried rice or noodles or just as an appetizer.

Aloo Matar Chaat

Hello friends, firstly, I apologize for being away for so long. I was off to Kolkata for a close ones wedding, and what better way to start posting again than to write about the utmost famous Kolkata chat. This is the amazing Aloo Matar Chaat made with boiled potatoes and soaked and boiled matar/chana/chole in a spicy tangy imli masala. If refrigerated and stored well, it lasts up to 3-4 days and it tastes better with each passing day

If this excites your taste buds, let me make it easy for you to enjoy this dish at your home in no time. I am writing an easy recipe to bring it to your table:

Ingredients:
4 Large Potatoes (boiled whole with a little salt and Haldi, I have used the red potatoes)
1 cup soaked and boiled matar/chana/chole (I have used a mix of matar and green chana)
1 lemon sized ball of imli (soaked in 1\2 cup warm water for 20 minutes)

To be chopped in a chopper:
3-4 green chillies
2" ginger root
1/2 cup coriander leaves

Masalas (to be dry roasted and powdered)
2 tsp jeera whole
2 tsp dhaniya whole
4-5 dry red chillies

Others:
1 tsp chunky chat masala,
1 tsp rock salt(kala namak)
1/2 red chilli powder(optional
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp sugar

Optional:
1 tomato- halved and sliced

Method:

1. Mash the Soaked imli and strain it in a bowl. Use additional 1/2 cup water while srtaining.

2. Add the chopped ginger, green chillies and coriander to it. Also add the powdered masalas and the other masalas to it. Mix well and keep aside.

3. Peel and slice the potatoes in a large bowl. Strain and add the boiled chana. Add the tomato slices too.

4. Now add the Imli masala mixture and mix gently making sure that the potato slices are not breaking.

5. Check the seasonings and tweak it according to your taste.
6. Enjoy either stuffed in pani puris, or on papdi or just as it is.

Tips:

1. The thickness of the potatoes is up to your liking. I like slicing it thin.

2. The masalas, salt and the sourness can be adjusted to your taste. I like it very hot and spicy.

3. Lemon juice adds additional flavor. You can add 1/2 a lemon juice to the imli masala.

4. Boiled and sliced sweet potatoes can also be added.

5. It tastes best if made a couple of hours ahead of time. It gives the masalas time to blend in well.

6. The masala powder can be made in a larger batch and kept ready ahead of time.

7. When in hurry, canned garbanzo can also be used.