Adam (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} rupes) wrote,@ 2008-04-26 21:53:00 |
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| Entry tags: | food, indian, potatoes, the art of vegetarian cooking, three takes |
Three takes on common ingredients - part 1
I like the approach taken at the beginning of the vegetables section; Yamuna describes three different methods of cooking vegetables, and then provides three recipes using the exact same set of ingredients to demonstrate them. I decided to try out the three recipes to make sure I understood her methods.
The basic ingredient list I chose was
- 1 lb potatoes
- 3 T ghee
- ½ T minced green chilies
- 1 t cumin seeds
- ½ t minced ginger root
- ½ t turmeric
- ½ T coriander
- 1 t salt
- 2 T chopped cilantro
(These ingredients aren't actually enough to make a meal for two; you need a staple or another dish. We had them with chapatis, which I'll explain in another post.)
Method 1: Sauteed and Braised Dry Vegetables
This method uses very little liquid; small pieces of vegetables are fried in ghee until partially cooked, then covered and allowed to cook in their own juices. The potatoes are peeled and cut into half-inch dice.
The ghee is heated over medium heat, and the green chiles, cumin seeds, and ginger root are fried until the cumin seeds darken.
The potatoes are stirred in and sauteed until they're just a bit browned.
The heat is reduced to low, and the tumeric, coriander, and a couple of tablespoons of water are added. Everything is covered, and the potatoes are left to cook until tender (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Once the potatoes are tender, the salt and cilantro are stirred in before serving.
