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Aloo Tamatar Sabzi

I made this for the first time today, so it is not as battle tested as some of the other recipes I have posted. However, this was an immediate favorite and I indulged in a second, and a third, helping. I have some ideas for possible improvements that I will note at the end and I will try to remember to come back and update this with the results of those experiments.

So, what is this? This is a saucy potato and tomato "curry". The flavor here is just wonderful and the almost soupy nature of it lends itself extremely well to being served over rice... which just happens to be my favorite way to serve food (I definitely fall into the 'it isnt a meal without rice' camp). Now, potato is in the name here, but you can really use almost any veggie. I, for example, have kept the potato but added green peas. Make it with what you have and what you like.

Ingredients

2-3 Potatoes, peeled, quartered

2 T Oil (any neutral oil is fine)

1 Bay leaf

1 " Cinnamon (or ~1/8 t, powder)

2 Green cardamom pods

1 p Hing (asafoetida)

1/2 t Maple syrup

1 t Cumin seeds

4 T Cilantro, washed, chopped

1 Onion, chopped to a small dice

1 t Garlic/ginger paste

1/2 t Turmeric

1 t Salt

1 t Mild red chili powder

1/4 t Cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 t Corriander powder

1/2 t Garam masala

1 Tomato, large (or two small), finely chopped

2.5 C Water

Instructions

1. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and keep boiling until a fork can press into a potato and be pulled out easily. Then drain and set aside to cool

2. While the potatoes are boiling heat the oil in a pan over medium/medium-low heat. Once hot add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, hing, maple syrup, cumin seeds, and 2T of cilantro. Stir and cook until fragrant and combined well

3. Add onion to the pan with spices. Saute onions to golden brown. Be patient and really let them cook and blend with the spices

4. Add the garlic-ginger paste and reduce heat to low

5. Add turmeric, salt, chili powder, cayenne, corriander, and garam masala. Saute until aromatic

6. Add tomato and saute until the tomato gets mushy and the oil separates from the mixture a bit

7. With your hands, or a tool if you prefer, slightly mash each quarter of potato so that it crumbles into a few pieces. Add the potato to the spice mix in the pan along with the water and peas. Stir to mix well

8. Cover and bring to a simmer; simmer for 10 minutes

9. Garnish with the final 2T of cilantro, stir, and serve (I like it ladled over rice)

Notes

If you do not have garlic ginger paste you can mince up two garlic cloves and 3/4" of ginger very finely

I really really love the flavor of this dish. While eating it I had the thought that it might be a more pleasing texture if I blended the onion in a blender rather than chopped it.

The maple syrup may seem like a weird choice here. I tend to use it as a substitute for fenugreek (kasuri methi) after reading that it could be used in this way. Some of the flavor is similar, though the syrup is much sweeter. So the goal is to just use a little bit to impart the flavor, without adding too much sweetness. You could definitely use fenugreek here instead, if you have some handy.