Sweet and Sour Potatoes with Mango

One of the most interesting and challenging part of cooking is experimenting with flavors and spices, just like the blend of flavors in this Vietnamese-style recipe for Sweet and Sour Potatoes with Mangoes! It was an effort to replicate what we enjoyed at our local Tofu House restaurant. The blend of spices with soy sauce, thai chillies, red pepper, semi-ripe mango and rice vinegar resulted into a winning sauce base for the baby potatoes to be simmered in. The addition of Mango in a curry isn't an idea many would relate to, but try this, and I promise you will love it!

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar (you can add more if you like the taste)
1/4 cup tomato puree
1-1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water (more to make the gravy)
1 tspn garlic powder
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (the red one)
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

The ingredients above yield about 2 cups of thick sweet and sour sauce

7-8 baby potatoes
1 small medium-rip mango(more green than yellow)
chopped scallions - for garnish

Method

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Mix all ingredients for the sauce (except cornstarch and water) together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken. You can add more vinegar or water till you achieve your desired consistency.

Boil the baby potatoes and dice them into 2 (or you can leave them whole). Prick them with a toothpick so they can be better flavored with the sauce. Chop the mangoes into thin slices and keep aside.

Now take a pan, add 2 tbsp vegetable oil, then saute the potatoes in it for some time. Then add the sweet and sour sauce, half of the mangoes and grated ginger, then cover with a lid and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

Once cooked, check for flavor and consistency of the sauce; add water or seasonings if required. Chop some scallions for garnish.

Serve the Baby Potatoes cooked in Sweet and Sour Sauce with Steamed rice. Garnish with remaining chopped mangoes and green onions.

Tandoori Aloo Masala (Potato Curry)

Its been raining like hell in North California since past couple weeks, and looks like more rain is on the horizon! Its one thing to sit at home sipping hot tea and enjoying Bhajiyas while hearing the pitter-patter of the rain, and totally another boring story to be driving to work each day in these nasty showers! Nevertheless, whenever I am down, I turn to food for comfort, and making and eating a nice comforting meal always help to lift your spirits! This hot and spicy Tandoori Aloo Masala is no exception! Enjoy it with some lovely Parathas and you'll be sure to feel good after the meal!

Ingredients
8-10 baby potatoes
1 Medium size onion (grated)
1 cup yogurt - blended
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
3 cloves
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
2 Cardamom pods (green)
4 tbsp Ghee/oil
4-5 Bay Leaves
1 tsp each Ginger-garlic paste and chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Tandoori masala (ready-made)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp sugar (or add to taste)
salt - to taste

Method
Boil the baby potatoes, making sure they stay firm and not become too mushy. Split into halves and keep aside.

Now take ghee in a non-stick pan and let it heat. Then add the grated onions and a pinch of salt, to prevent onions from becoming bitter in taste. Saute the onions for about 2 mins, till golden and translucent.

Dry roast the cardamom seeds, cloves, coriander seeds, bay leaves, and cinnamon in another pan on medium heat. Then process them in a spice grinder to make fresh dry masala powder.
PS: If you cannot do this, add the spices directly to the onions and let them cook with it. Just remove the bay leaves and cinnamon barks after about 5 mins so they don't overpower the recipe.

Add the fresh masala to the onions and let it cook. Also add the ginger-garlic paste and saute on low-to-medium heat, stirring constantly, till it becomes reddish brown and the mixture starts separating from the oil.

Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry it about a minute till everything becomes smooth and almost like a gravy.

Now add the blended yogurt, and the tandoori masala to the gravy. try to keep the gravy thick, but if it is too solid, you can add about 2 tbsp water. now add the boiled and skinned potatoes and gently roll them over to coat them evenly with the masala gravy. Add some chopped fresh coriander leaves, Cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 5 mins. Stir occasionally to make sure the curry does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add water only if needed.

Cook till thick and muchy, then remove from flame, garnish with some chopped cilantro and chillies, and serve hot with some Parathas!

Also take a minute to check out this recipe for Tandoori Aloo which is a great appetizer or a side dish for parties