Jeera alu with peanuts

Imagine....what if there were no potatoes? Can you? I, for one, can't think of my kitchen without potatoes. No, it is not like I put potatoes in everything or I cook potatoes regularly, quite on the contrary. But it is a great comfort to know that I have potatoes in the kitchen. That if need be, I can whip up something quite tasty and filling with very little effort or seasoning. Can't think of any other vegetable that is quite as versatile as the good ol' potato.

I can have potatoes in any form (mashed, dry sabzis, curries, wedges), but my very favorite is the one my mom used to make whenever papa or she observed a fast. It is very similar to jeera alu, but the addition of peanuts takes the taste up by a few notches. You guessed it - I almost never observe a fast, but make this very regularly nevertheless.




Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4 medium sized
Sweet potato - 1, optional but very highly recommended!
green chillies - 2, slit
curry leaves - 7-10
dried red chillies - 2
peanuts - 4 tbsps, roasted and ground to a coarse powder
jeera - 1.5 tsps
lime juice
coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Method:

Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and cut into cubes. Toss with the peanut powder, salt and sugar.

Heat oil. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the green chillies, red chillies and the curry leaves in quick succession and stir for half a minute. Add the potatoes and stir well so that the masala coats the potato cubes. Add the lime juice and stir. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring infrequently so that the potatoes get slightly crisp on the outside. Sprinkle some chopped coriander and serve with dal and rotis/rice.

This goes to my own Lets go nuts: Peanuts. Only two days to go, guys, do get nutty!!