Winter is upon us. Last week a Nor’easter storm almost shattered the East coast during Thanksgiving, but most places only got a few inches of snow. I come from a country where winter is very mild. There is no snow, and the temperature is in the 50s most of the time. But winter always brings vegetables to all Indians. My dad used to get carrots and fresh peas during winter months. And most Sunday mornings during winter, mum used to prepare this potato, carrot, and pea curry. She also used to prepare small flatbread (Roti) to eat with it. Once in 3 months, she used to make “Poori” or “Luchi” with it. We all used to wait eagerly for this Sunday breakfast.
Sunday breakfast used to happen before 9 am. We all used to sit down and have roti/poori with potato curry and chitchat about our daily lives. Sunday was the day when we used to indulge ourselves in all delicacies. After this healthy and appetizing breakfast, we used to have our regular Sunday meal which would be rice and goat curry with potato. That used to be done before 2 pm and after that all Bengalis will sleep for an hour or two. Sleeping on Sunday afternoon is mandatory for Bengalis after Sunday meal.
Sundays are much different for me now. After waking up, I make a warm, nice breakfast and enjoy it with my husband. We chitchat over a pot of tea. After that, I sometimes cook or go out with my husband to run some errands. Once in two weeks, my cleaning lady comes, and I do dusting with her. By 3, I sit down with magazines or a favorite book and another cup of tea. Last week after seeing Simi’s potato curry, I decided to make this root vegetable curry in my mom’s way for our Sunday Morning breakfast.
Indians prepare potato curry in many ways. In Mumbai, they add “Goda Masala” . In North India I have seen people using “hing” or asafoetida in their potato curry. In South India, using curry leaves and whole mustard seeds are very common. My mom always prepares this potato curry with roasted cumin seeds. She first roasts the cumin seeds and then crushes it. I use my coffee grinder, but she uses her rolling pin. It is best served with flatbread (tortilla or pita can work very well) or ‘Poori’ if you are not counting calories. I garnish my potato curries with cilantro.
Recipe for Potato Curry with Cumin
- 2 pounds of baby gold potatoes, washed and quartered
- 3 normal carrots, peeled and sliced in rounds
- 1 green chile, halved
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 cups water, enough to cover the potato
- 1 1/2 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 + 2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 dried red chile, whole
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves to garnish
1. In a thick bottom pot, start boiling the potatoes, carrots, green chile with turmeric powder, salt and enough water to cover the potatoes on medium-high heat. Check the potato by inserting a fork. If the fork can cut it, potatoes are done. Lower the flame to medium-low.
2. In another non-stick pan, heat oil in medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds and whole red chile, fry for a minute or two until it splutters.
3. In the same oil add onion slices and fry until it becomes opaque for 2-3 minutes in medium-high heat. Set it aside.
4. With a potato masher, mash a few potatoes. Add fried onions from step 2 and 3 and green peas to the curry.
5. In a dry nonstick skillet, start roasting 2 teaspoons of whole cumin seeds in medium-high heat. Roast it for 2-3 minutes until its aromas are released and becomes slightly brown. Cool and ground the seeds to powder.
6. Add the roasted cumin powder to the curry and stir well. Set it aside. Garnish with cilantro.This is best served with flat bread (roti) and poori.
