I tried my best to recall the finer tastes of some dishes our neighbors (that fled from the Pakistani side of Punjab during partition) used to make. One of them was the very simple but delicious Aloo Jeera (or Potato cumin) and another very popular one is the Punjabi style chole (chick pea). For example, both of them take a chili paste that they used to make during summer using red and fresh green chilies, anardana (pomegranate seeds), amchur (mango powder) and black tea. Many of the ingredients that they use are either dry (e.g. amchur powder) or preserved (like the chili paste).
This recipe has the fewest ingredients, gets done in minutes and yet, it is delicious!
Ingredients:
- 4-5 medium sized potatoes
- 2tsp cumin seeds [rml_read_more]
- Punjabi chili paste
- Salt to taste
Method:
Boil, peel and cut potatoes into cubes. The boiling part is to taste. I like them boiled enough that they barely have a bite. Others like them barely boiled. However, don’t boil them till they get mashed easily. Heat a wok and add the oil to it. When the oil starts to lightly smoke, add the cumin seeds, wait for a few second (no more!) and add the potatoes to it. Saute the potatoes till they no longer stick to one another. At this point, add a tsp of the chili paste and stir gently. Once you no longer see the paste sticking to the sides of the wok, you are done. Add salt to taste and enjoy with crisp puris.
