Sunday, November 28, 2010

Urlaikizhangu Podimaas - Potato Stir Fry



Podimaas is probably the first "grown up" way of eating potatoes that a child is introduced to in Tamil cuisine and it remains a favourite comfort food for me well into adulthood. Podimaas refers to a simple stir fry of potatoes - boiled and then tempered with very few spices (usually green chillies and ginger); a teaspoon of lentils adds the crunch I look forward to in this dish which is otherwise melt-in-the-mouth soft.

For podimaas, the boiled potatoes are usually crumbled by hand till they are a little mashed but not completely. However, I like it when they are in small pieces (not choppped with a knife but roughly done with my hands). Since my daughter pretty much eats the same food we do, I use red chillies instead of green chillies since they are less spicy. Lots of turmeric is important for me -bright yellow is just the way podimaas should be! Different from the golden, crusty version I make at other times.

What is your favourite version of having potatoes?


Urlaikizhangu Podimaas - Potato Stir Fry

4 medium sized potatoes, boiled and peeled.

1 tbsp oil
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2tsp
Curry Leave - a few
Dried Red chillies - 2-3 broken (traditionally, one used fresh green chillies)
Ginger - grated/chopped fine - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste
lime juice - a squeeze

1. With your hands, roughly break the boiled potatoes into small pieces; or chop them up.
2. Add the oil to a pan and heat, put in the mustard seeds and when they pop, lower flame, add the chana dal, urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves. When the dals turn goldern, add the turmeric powder and ginger.
3. Add the potatoes and salt and mix well. Stiry fry for about 5 minutes, till it heats through and is mixed well.
4. Remove from flame and add a dash of lime juice. Serve warm with rice and accompaniments like sambar, rasam or kozhambu. Thayir saadam (yoghurt mixed with rice) tastes sublime with this stir fry.


 

6 comments:

Archana said...

Yummmmmm....can never tire of this...its made every tiem we return home from a trip outside...

indosungod said...

Podimaas always me of my childhood too. The potatoes are bit more smaller than yours and back home mom never added turmeric powder so I leave it white too.

Potatoes in any form.

nina said...

mmmmmmmm i also put a lot of karuvapillai and some finely shredded ginger! thair sadam and podimas is the only reason i go to the boat club in madras :)

Nithu Bala said...

very tempting podimaas..loved it..thanks for sharing...

Anita said...

Simple pleasures. I don't think I add ginger to mine...hmmm, that is what has been keeping it from being authentic!

Krishna said...

age band for potatoes 8 months to 80 years :) a truly global veggie