Dhodi Potatoes

Now you must be wondering at the name of this recipe. I know it sounds quite odd and unheard of. That is because the name is derived from the community to which the recipe belongs. It is very difficult to name a recipe in India, especially when it has anything to do with a potato, because honestly, the potato is everywhere in the Indian cuisine! Aloo gobhi, aloo bhindi, aloo matar and not to forget the stand alone stir fried, deep fried or boiled potato recipes. The list is a never ending one and the reason behind that is quite simple. We all love potatoes! No matter what the scientists or the nutritionists may say, I don't think we'll ever be able to part with our beloved potato!

I came across this recipe when i was visiting a friend of mine, who happens to live at the southern tip of Gujarat. yes you guessed it right. The small tapering tail end that you see on the map. They belong to the DHODI community and their cuisine is nothing like the gujarati cuisine that we are accustomed to or familiar with. It is not at all sweet or oily, on the contrary it is more spicy than most Indian cuisines. The reason behind that, as told to me by my friend's grandmother is the proximity of the region to both the states, Gujarat and Maharashtra. They have inculcated major nuances from both the cuisines and have developed one of their own, over a period of time. The community mostly lives on farms and in villages where fresh supplies are abundant, be it the veg ingredients or otherwise. The city dwellers have modernized with time but those living in the villages still use wood fired stoves more so for the rustic taste than for anything else. And I had the opportunity to try several dishes cooked at the farm on a wood fired stove and at my friend's plush city apartment kitchen. To be honest, i preferred the wood fired stove! 

This is one of the simplest dishes that I have ever come across. Once the potatoes are boiled and diced, it hardly takes 5 minutes to finish up the rest of the recipe and we all know how quickly the potatoes can boil! So here we go.

                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                         2 - 3 servings

2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Butter

1 tsp Cumin seeds

5-6 Curry leaves

6 Green Chilies finely chopped

1 inch Ginger finely chopped

4 tbsp Peanuts, roasted and crushed coarsely

1 cup Coriander chopped

5 large Potatoes, salted, boiled and chopped into 1/4" cubes

Salt to taste

 Add the green chilies, coriander, ginger, peanuts and salt to a bowl and keep it aside.

·         Heat the Oil and Butter in a no stick pan.

·         Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves and let them splutter.

·         Then add a mixture of green chilies, coriander, ginger, peanuts and salt and cook that over a medium heat for about 2 minutes stirring frequently.

·         Then add the potatoes and mix well.

·         Finish with fresh coriander after checking for the seasonings.

There you have it! A quick and simple potato recipe that can be served in multiple ways and I'll tell you a few!

With hot Phulka rotis / Puris

As a stuffing for a Dosa

As a side dish with Khichdi

As a spread over a toast 

As a sandwich filling

And these are the combinations that i have tried. Now that you have the recipe, let your imagination run riot!

Vegans can skip the butter and enjoy this crazy dish all by itself! :)

Bon Apetit!

P.S. Dont forget to tell me about the new combinations that you try in the comments below :)

You can find the quick recipe card on YouTube here:
https://youtu.be/9PP-UpYHlSs