Easy Potato Sabzi

Stuff you definitely need:

Oil - 3 teaspoons, go up to 6 teaspoons if you like (makes it yummier and unhealthier)

Masalas
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Powder – 3 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon
Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon

Veggies
Potatoes - 4 – boiled, peeled and cut into big pieces.
Curry leaves - 15-20

You can also add:

Dry Mango Powder (aka amchoor) – 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 10-12 leaves
Fresh Coriander – 1 bunch

Steps:
1. Take a kadhai / wok and heat the oil in it. (I make it in a heavy bottomed iron kadhai. The crunchy bits that cling to the kadhai can be scraped easily.)
2. Add urad dal, mustard seeds and wait for it splutter. Add the curry leaves.
3. Add the potatoes, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Mix nicely and cover for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the coriander powder and dry mango powder. Mix and let it cook on high for 3-4 minutes.
5. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves

(Crook saves time: Its so simple and quick. Only takes 8-10 minutes to make.)

Fine tune:
Taste and adjust salt. Add more coriander powder, if you like that crunchy taste. (If you think it’s not spicy enough, add as much red chili powder as you want)

Serve:
Garnish with coriander and serve with Chapattis / Rice. I love it with Rice and Dal. Nice with curd rice too.

More crooking:
Keep boiled potatoes ready in the fridge. Make it whenever you need.

Tomato Everything - Rice / Curry / Topping

Stuff you definitely need:

Oil - 2 teaspoons, go up to 6 teaspoons if you like (makes it yummier and unhealthier)

Masalas
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon
Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Jeera - 1 teaspoon

Veggies
Onions - 2 - sliced thin
Tomatoes - 6 or more - sliced thick
Curry leaves - 15-20
Green chillies - 6-7

You can also add:

Coconut - 1/2 - remove from shell and dry-mixi dry (you can grate it, if you have the patience)
Garlic - 7-10 cloves - peeled and sliced
Coriander - for the garnish

Steps:
1. Take a kadhai / wok and heat the oil.
2. Add urad dal, mustard seeds and wait for it splutter. Add curry leaves, green chillies.
3. Add the onions and fry.
4. Add garlic slices and fry for a minute or two.
5. Now add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, turmeric, mix nicely.
6. Cover for about 7-8 minutes till the tomato melts.
7. Add water (about 1/2 a cup) and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Adjust to get the desired consistency.

(Crook saves time: I always chop the tomatoes first and cook it into the microwave for about 5 minutes. While the tomates are cooking, I chop the onions and the garlic and start cooking. You then need to cover and cook it for just a minute or two.)

Fine tune:
Taste and adjust salt, sugar as desired. (If you think its not spicy enough, add a little red chilli powder)

Serve:
Garnish with coriander and serve with Chapattis / Bread / Rice.
Papad / Chips make for good company

Tomato rice:
Put it all in the pressure cooker in the same order and add rice (about 1.5 cups) and water. You need not cover and cook the tomatoes seperately. Just put everything in and cook for 2 whistles. Yummy tomato rice in 20 minutes. Serve with curd and papad or chips.

More crooking - Same thing, different things:
Skip the coconut, make lots of it and keep it in the fridge.
Top on Bread for sandwiches.
Mix with rice to make tomato rice.
Add boiled babycorn, capsicum, peas, carrot, beans, potatoes - almost anything to make a quick sabzi.

Crook-ing

I am an incredibly lazy person and I love to eat. The catch is, I love to eat good homemade food. So when I can't con my mother or other relatives into inviting me and my family for food, then I have to enter the kitchen. From a did-not-know-how-to-make-rice-novice to an-amateur-will-try-cook-anything-vegetarian-only has been a long, eventful, not-disastrous journey for me. I will share simple recipes, improvisations and mother's recipes.

I promise that all of them will be quick meals, no fuss, with ingredients that are easily available or can be substituted.