Easy Aloo Palak

I´ve never been particularly fond of spinach, because, let´s face it, it doesn´t really look that appetizing when cooked into oblivion. As a matter of fact, Aloo Palak doesn´t look that appetizing either, but I´ve become a bit more daring in recent years so I decided to sample a bite when my mother ordered it in an Indian restaurant a couple of months ago. Turns out spinach doesn´t taste like spinach when you pair it with plenty of spices, and anything potato is always good news!

Here´s what you need (for 2 moderate servings):
- 1/2 package frozen spinach in cubes, thawed

- 1/2 package (ca. 250g) pre-cooked potato wedges or pommes parisienne

- approx. 50ml. water

- pinch of salt

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 small onion, diced

- 1 tsp ginger paste or fresh ginger, minced

- 1 tsp garlic paste or fresh garlic, minced

- 1/2 tsp coriander powder

- 1/4 tsp each of ground cumin, curry powder and salt

- 1/8 tsp each of chili powder and turmeric

- pinch of cinnamon

- 2 1/2 tbsp non-dairy cream (I prefer rice cream)

Put the thawed spinach with water and pinch of salt in a blender (the Magic Bullet is ideal for this) and blend smooth. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the potatoes until they are slightly browned. Add the onions, ginger and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the spices and sauté for a minute (add a splash of water if the spices stick). Pour in spinach and mix well with the spices and potatoes. Cover and simmer 7 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cream. Turn heat to medium/low. Cook uncovered 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Serve with rice, roti and/or chapatis.

Based on this recipe.

Dì Sān Xiān - Chinese sautéed potato, green pepper and eggplant

I spent the past 2,5 weeks touring through China, and let me tell you, I don't think I've ever tasted so many delicious dishes while on holiday!
One of my favorites was Dì Sān Xiān (地三鲜), which means 'earth three fresh'. The name refers to the 3 main ingredients - potato, green pepper and eggplant.

The Chinese tend to use a lot of oil in their cooking, so to make this dish a bit more waistline-friendly, I altered it a bit... This undoubtedly affects the taste somewhat, but it will still taste great.
Here's my version:


What you need (2 servings):
450g potatoes, diced
1 eggplant, diced
1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 fresh clove, finely chopped)
1 tsp ginger paste (or 1cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped)
approx. 3 tbsp ketjap manis (or regular soy sauce plus 1 tsp of sugar) 
salt to taste (note that the ketjap/soy sauce is already salty!)
wet cornstarch (the proportion cornstarch-water should be 1:2)
oil


Bring water to the boil in a pan and cook the potatoes and eggplant for approx. 10 mins. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok and fry the potatoes until they start to colour. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bell pepper to the wok and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for another few seconds. Add potatoes and eggplant and stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with sugar, soy sauce and salt to taste, and add approx. 2 tbsp wet cornstarch. Stir through the vegetables so they are evenly coated and cook for a few more seconds.


Serve as is or with white rice.

Based on this recipe.

Ode to potatoes

I ADORE potatoes.

Truly, that doesn't even cover it. There aren't enough words to express my utter love for anything potato.

My greatest temptations, snack-wise, are chips/fries and crisps/chips. And you could wake me up in the middle of the night for war-style fries ('Patatje Oorlog' a.k.a. fries with mayonaise and peanut sauce) or Pringles Hot & Spicy chips.

They are so incredibly versatile:
you can subject them to any type of cooking method
boiling; steaming; pan-frying; deep-frying; roasting (in the oven); mashing; baking ('poffen'); scalloped / au gratin - you name it!

you can cut them up in all shapes and sizes
wedges; fries (thin and crispy or thick and yummy); slices; cubes; a la parisienne ('krieltjes'); tater tots / croquettes; hash browns / rösti (grated); dumplings / gnocchi etc.

you can use them is all sorts of dishes

curries; as a side dish (boiled / fried / steamed / mashed / roasted); mixed with veggies ('stamppot'); in salads etc.

you can eat them at all hours of the day

for breakfast (hash browns); for lunch (salad); as a snack (crisps); for dinner (meat, veg and potatoes).

Some of my favourite potato dishes?
- I already mentioned thick fries with mayonaise and peanut sauce - YUM!
- tortilla omelet is a nice Summer dish with salad and garlic bread.
- just one of the many versions of potato curry. (I had the most amazing dry curry in a Nepalese restaurant - too bad I haven't been able to replicate it so far!)
- classic potato salad. I'm sticking with store-bought for now since I haven't found the perfect recipe yet...
- at work they served these delicious salads: roasted Roseval wedges (skin-on) with rocket, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil and roasted Roseval wedges with sauteed mushrooms, olive oil and rocket.
- potatoes and beans with massala curry powder - perfect Surinamese side dish.
- scalloped potatoes (au gratin), not very healthy with all that cream but very tasty!

... and I'm sure there will be more to follow.

*pictures from Wikipedia

Quick potato curry

An Indian colleague of mine provided me with the basics for this dish, and it's easily adaptable to personal taste by substituting the veggies.

What you need (2 servings):
450 g potatoes (I use store-bought pre-cooked pommes parisiennes or potato cubes)
100 g frozen peas
1 small onion, halved and cut in strips
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 can of tomato cubes, drained
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp garam massala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste)
salt & pepper to taste
approx. 100ml cooking cream (suitable for warm dishes)
vegetable oil

Heat some oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to give off scent, add the garam massala and turmeric, onion, garlic, sambal oelek and chopped pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the onion has softened, then add the potatoes. Add the peas and tomatoes after approx. 10 minutes. After another 5 minutes, stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Since the potatoes already provide plenty of carbs, I serve this as a stand-alone dish without rice or naan.

Try these veggie alternatives:
* small cauliflower florets (blanched) - Aloo Gobi is an Indian classic!
* leeks instead of onion
* green beans instead of peas
* red, yellow or orange pepper instead of green pepper, or a combination of different colours
* sliced mushrooms

Potatoes & beans

What you need (6-8 servings)
1kg yard-long beans, washed, topped and cut into 4cm long pieces
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp sunflower oil
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
salt
1 1/2 tbsp massala curry powder
1 tsp turmeric

Bring water to the boil in 2 pans and boil both the beans and potatoes for approx. 10 mins. Drain and put aside.
Heat the oil in a wok and sauté the onion and garlic. Add curry powder and turmeric and cook for a few secs. Add the potatoes and beans. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat until the potatoes are done. Add salt to taste. Cook another 5-10 mins on a low heat.
Serve with roti and massala chicken.

Tortilla (Spanish-style potato omelet)

What you need (4 servings):
350g potatoes, boiled and sliced
1 onion, in half rings
1 clove of garlic, pressed
4 large eggs
1 tbsp dried chives
Salt, peper and chili powder to taste
(olive) oil

Fry the potatoes in some oil until golden brown. In a separate pan, sauté the onion and garlic. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with some salt, pepper, chili powder and chives. Stir the potatoes as well as the onion mixture into the eggs. Add some oil to the frying pan and pour in the mixture, making sure the potatoes are evenly distributed. Cook on a low heat for 10-15 mins and turn when the top of the omelet is set. Cook for another few minutes. Let the omelet rest for 5-10 mins before cutting and serve with garlic bread and a salad.

Try this:
- Add diced bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, peas, grated cheese etc.
- Cut the omelet into small squares and serve as tapas with olives, meatballs etc.
- lunchbox idea: cut the potato into small cubes instead of slices. Pour the egg mixture into a muffin pan and cook the mini omelets in the oven for 30-35 mins at approx. 150C.