Dum Aloo with Avocado

Hi all, the recipe I made was out of compulsion of using small potatoes and avocado before its too late to be used. What better way than to make Dum Aloo which basically means slow cooked potatoes. It generally uses yogurt but instead of yogurt I used Avocado to get the creamy texture and to balance the gravy. So, here it goes

DUM ALOO WITH AVOCADO

INGREDIENTS

Small Potatoes: 10-12 peeled

Avocado: 2 medium scooped from inside

Onion: 1 Medium chopped

Tomato: 1 medium

Garlic: 2 Pods chopped

Ginger: 1 Tsp Chopped

Cashews: 10-12 soaked in water for 10 mins

Green Chilli: 1

Cinnamon Stick: 1 Medium

Bay Leaf: 1

Black Pepper corn:4-5

Coriander Seeds: 1 Tsp

Jeera: 1 Tsp

Fennel Seeds: 1 Tsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 Tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4th Tsp

Jeera-Dhania Powder: 1 Tsp

Kasoori Methi: 1-2 Tsp crushed

Garam Masala: 1/2 Tsp

Salt as required

Oil and Butter: 1-2 Tbsp

Water for grinding and gravy

Coriander leaves for garnish

                                            

Dum Aloo with Avocado

MAKING

Peel the potatoes, poke holes them with a fork and drop them in boiling water and boil them until soft but intact. Drain the water and set the potatoes aside. 

In a shallow pan, add oil. Once hot, add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, pepper corn, jeera, fennel seeds, green chilli, chopped ginger and garlic and saute them.To this, add the chopped onion, tomato and cashews. Saute them well until the onions turn golden brown and the tomatoes turn soft and cooked. Take out the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Take the sauteed onion mix out and place them in a bowl and allow it to cool.

In the same pan, add oil. Once heated, add in the boiled small potatoes and shallow fry until the outer layer turns golden brown. Take them out and set aside.

In a blender, add the spice onion mix into a nice paste using little water. In the same pan, add butter, once melted add in the gravy and cook in low flame for a couple of minutes. Add water as required if the paste is too thick.To this, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, jeera-dhania powder and cook for another couple of minutes in low flame. 

Add the shallow fried potatoes. Mix them well, add water and salt and cook until the potatoes are well mixed with the gravy. Now add the crushed Kasoori Methi and Garam Masala and mix well. After a couple of minutes, finally add in the mashed avocado pulp into the gravy and mix well. 

Thats it, switch off the gas. Garnish the Dum Aloo with freshly chopped Coriander leaves. Serve it hot with Rotis or Naan.

TIPS/VARIATIONS

Make sure to add the avocado right at the end. Doing this retains the nutrients of the avocado.

If you dont have Avocado, you can add yogurt or milk but this needs to be added before adding the kasoori methi and Garam masala and allow it to cook for a few minutes.

Molagushiyam ( Black Pepper Veg Stew)

Hi all, so we were getting a snowstorm and my son was having cough so my husband said we can make a dish called "Molagushiyam". Luckily, I was in a call with my mother and she gave me the recipe. Although,I did not have one of the main vegetable its made with, I used an alternative. It was perfect for a cold day and a big hit with the family. Molagushiyam is generally a comforting lentil based stew using black pepper instead of chillies. Its considered a healthy immune boosting dish.So, here it goes

MOLAGUSHIYAM

INGREDIENTS

Raw small green banana: 1/4th Cup (peel the skin and dice into small cubes)

Potato: 1/4th Cup ( dice into small cubes)

Moong Dal: 3-4 Tbsp

Black Pepper: 2 Tbsp (use a mortar to crush it into a coarse powder)

Cumin seeds: 1-2 Tsp (use a mortar to crush it into a coarse powder)

Turmeric: 1/4th Tsp

Curry leaves: 10-12

Coconut Oil : 1-2 Tsp for Tadka

Red Chillies: 1 medium split into half

Urad Dal: 1 Tsp

Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tsp

Salt and water as required

                                            

Molagushiyam

MAKING

In a deep bottom pan, add the cut vegetables, moong dal, turmeric, salt as required ,1-2 Tsp of the crushed pepper and curry leaves( 5-6). Add some water and cook until the moong dal is cooked and the vegetables are soft and well mixed into the dal. Add water little by little as and when you think the dal needs to be cooked more.

Now for Tadka, add coconut oil. Once heated, add the Mustard seeds, Urad dal,dry red chilli, remaining crushed black pepper, crushed Jeera and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add it to the gravy and delicious Molagushiyam is ready. 

Serve it hot with rice with papad on the side. 

TIPS/VARIATIONS

Molagushiyam is traditionally made with yam and small green raw banana but I used potato instead of Yam and it came out really well.

You can also add a portion of the crushed jeera/cumin to the gravy with the dal and veggies.

I used a generous amount of black pepper for the heat but you could adjust it based on your heat preference.