Ingredients-

1. Baby potatos- 12
2. Yogurt- 2 Cups, beaten
3. Whole Garam masala consisting of- 2 Bay leaves, 4 cloves, 2 big cardamons, 2 small cardamons, 2 small pieces of Cinnamon
4. Shahi jeera- 1 Tsp
5. Dry Ginger Powder- 1/4 Tsp
6. Fennel( Saunf) Powder- 2 Tsp
7. Red Chili Powder- 1/2 to 1 Tsp( depending on how hot it is)
8. Garam Masala- 1 Tsp
9. Turmeric Powder- 1/4 Tsp
10. Salt- to taste
11. Oil- For deep frying the potatoes

Method-

Boil the potatoes with the skin in salted water( the skin starts butsting off the potatoes when they are done). Peel the skin. Prick each potato well with a toothpick or a small fork. Heat the oil in a kadai and deep fry the potatoes till they are light, and turn golden brown. Take a small cup of water, add the powder ingredients and make a paste. Take a thick bottomed pan. Add 2 to 3 Tbsp of the hot oil from the kadai, and lower the flame. Add the shahi jeera, and the whole garam masala. When it is done, add the masala paste. The masala should not burn. When the oil starts floating on top, add the yogurt and mix well. Add the salt. Add a little water to the gravy, if it gets too thick. Add the potatoes. Cover the pan and simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot with rice or any kind of roti.

Tip- The yogurt sometimes breaks when added to the hot masala. Beat the yogurt to a smooth paste, and lower the heat while adding the yogurt, and stir fast.

One of my all time favorite snacks is the ‘almond’ or badami as it is called in Kannada. Some interesting facts about the almond are-

1. Almonds are high in mono saturated fats( which have been known to reduce heart disease).

2. Almonds have a high Vitamin E content. Vitamin E is an Antioxident, great for beautiful skin and heathy hair. Remember the Bajaj Almond drops Ad on Doordarshan?

3. In ayurveda, badam is considered to be a great food for the brain and nervous system.

4. It has high levels of magnesium and potassium, essential minerals for maintaining normal blood pressure.

5. The Almond tree is the cousin of the walnut, the plums, apricots and cherries. They all belong to the rose family.

6. Almonds have been considered to be an aphrodisiac.

I was a great fan of the magazine ‘Femina’ once upon a time ago. There used to be beauty secrets from film actresses in that book, some of which I remember even today. Hindi Actress Rekha had said she ate 4 almonds soaked in milk overnight, every morning. Well, considering the fact that she she looks gorgeous at her age, it is worth trying.

Almonds make great desserts, like Badami halwa, Badami holige, badami barfi, etc. This recipe is for one such dessert, tastes great when chilled, so here goes-

Ingredients-

Almonds- 1 cup

Milk- 2 cups

Condensed milk- 1 small tin

Saffron- a few strands soaked in 2 Tbsp warm milk

Cardamom Powder- 1/8 tsp

Almond slivers- 1 Tbsp for garnish

Method-

Soak the almonds in water for 2-3 hours and remove the skin. A faster way of doing this would be to soak the almonds in water and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes. Run the hot almonds in cold water for a minute, and squeeze the skin off.

Grind the peeled almonds with 1 cup of milk, to make a very fine paste. Heat the remaining milk in a thick bottom pan. Add the almond paste and reduce the heat. Add the condensed milk, the saffron and the cardamom. Keep stirring at regular intervals. Turn off the heat when the mixture starts bubbling. Let it cool. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Garnish with almond slivers before serving.

‘Fenugreek Greens’ (Methi) are called Menthya Soppu in Kannada. They have a slight bitter taste. The leaves have high iron content. Fenugreek is considered to be one of the worlds oldest medicinal herbs, used for various skin and hair ailments and for increasing the production of breast milk in lactating mothers.

It is really easy to grow in home gardens, by just scattering the fenugreek seeds on the ground, and watering regularly.

Fresh methi is available all year round in Indian grocery stores. The dried leaves, called Kasoori methi are used quite a bit in North Indian cooking, and can be substituted for fresh methi, in some recipes.

This is a recipe for a simple, quick pulav, using fresh methi leaves, though Kasoori methi can be used if fresh is not available.

Ingredients

1. Methi leaves- 1 large bunch, thoroughly washed and chopped finely (substitute ½ cup Kasoori methi if fresh is not available)

2. Basmathi rice- 1 ½ Cups washed and soaked in water for 15 minutes

3. Jeera-1/2 Tspn

4. Fresh Coriander- 2 sprigs

5. Fresh Coconut- 1 Tbspn

6. Green chilies- 4 to 5

7. Oil- 3 Tbspns

8. Salt- To taste

9. Whole Garam masala consisting of the following-

Cinnamon- 1 inch

Star Anise- 1

Small Cardamom- 2

Cloves- 4

Bay leaves-2

Method-
Grind the coconut, green chilies and coriander using just as much water needed in a blender. In a kadai, heat the oil, add the whole garam masala and add the jeera after a few seconds. Add the Methi and sauté till the chopped leaves start wilting. Add the coconut paste and the salt and stir till the oil starts separating. If using Kasoori methi, first add the coconut paste to the kadai, and then add the kasoori methi.

Drain the rice and add to the coconut- methi mixture and mix till all the rice is coated. Transfer to a rice cooker and add 3 cups of water and cook till done.

Serve hot with any raitha.