Potato Puli kuzhambu

Of late, I have been craving for spicy and tangy food...Blame it and a host of other things like not being able to participate in JFI-Coconut and not being able to wish all of you on time, on the fever which is sapping my energy now and then and is pushing me into a dark abyss of restlessness and irritability...Of irritability I can say that even the sound of water running in the faucet is enough to get on my nerves nowadays..The less said about the rest of things the better.. Of restlessness was born the sudden change of font in my blog..I can hear you all sympathising for my DH and I can only say that he is taking it all in his stride with the patience and understanding a person can possibly have. Hope all this will pass and I will be my normal self soon.. :-)

Coming to the recent tangy dish I made, much to Sai's dismay, was Potato PuliKuzhambu, which translates to Potato Tamarind Gravy. Its so common in my home and is made atleast once a week. The predominant tastes are tanginess and spicyness, which is certainly not a combination for the faint of heart. This recipe can be made from a lot of different vegetables like Taro Root, Okra, Brinjal, Bitter Gourd, Potato and Karunai Kizhangu.

Though I get almost all my recipes from my mom, the person who helped me perfect this concoction was my little sister...Thanks Subbi!

Here's the recipe:

Potato - 1/2 kg - About 8 small potatoes

Onion - 3 Medium - Sliced

Plum Tomatoes - 4 Medium - Sliced

Tamarind - A big lemon sized ball

Chilli Powder - 4 Teaspoons

Coriander Powder - 4 Teaspoons

Turmeric - A pinch

Oil - 1 Tablespoon

For Seasoning:

Curry Leaves - 6

Curry Vadagam - A small piece

Or

Mustard Seeds - 1 Teaspoon

Fenugreek Seeds - A pinch

Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

Urad Dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Soak tamarind in 4 cups of water and extract the juice and set aside. Add oil in a saucepan and once it is hot, add the items under seasoning. Wait till they turn light brown and add onions. Fry till brown and add tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Wait till the tomatoes turn mushy. Add peeled and diced potatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder and fry for a couple of minutes. Add tamarind water and salt. After it boils, lower the heat, cover and simmer till the potatoes are cooked. You can adjust the water according to the thickness desired. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot rice, idli or dosa!