Dal-chawal is a comfort food dish that is prepared and enjoyed in most Indian homes daily. However, eating the same simple dry vegetable side dish or boiled potatoes every day can become boring. If you want to make today's lunch more interesting and spicy, then spicy cilantro potatoes will be an excellent alternative.
Preparation and Ingredients
This vegetable side dish, prepared using fresh green cilantro, green chili, roasted spices, and lemon juice, greatly enhances the flavor of dal-chawal. Moreover, its preparation is very simple and takes only about 10 minutes. Below is a simple and spicy recipe.
Required Components
For preparation, you will need: potatoes – 4-5 pieces (boiled and cut into large chunks); fresh green cilantro – 1 large bunch (fresh and washed); green chili – 3-4 pieces (to taste); ginger – a 1-inch piece; lemon juice – 1-2 tablespoons; cumin (jeera) – 1 teaspoon; asafoetida (hing) – a pinch; ground cumin – ½ teaspoon; chaat masala – ½ teaspoon; amchur powder – ½ teaspoon (optional); oil or ghee – 2 tablespoons; salt to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, place the green cilantro, green chili, ginger, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of water into a blender jar to blend into a very thick and smooth paste. (Adding lemon juice helps preserve the green color of the cilantro).
Heat the oil or ghee in a pan. Then add cumin and asafoetida for flavoring. After this, add the chopped boiled potatoes and salt to taste to the pan. Fry the potatoes over medium or high heat for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly golden and crispy.
When a light crispy layer forms on the potatoes, reduce the heat and mix in the prepared green cilantro paste. Simultaneously add the ground cumin, chaat masala, and amchur powder. Mix all ingredients thoroughly so that the paste evenly coats the potatoes.
Simmer the dish over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to remove any raw taste from the cilantro and allow all the aromas to penetrate the potatoes. Turn off the heat and top with a little lemon juice and finely chopped cilantro for the final mix. The ready spicy cilantro potatoes are served hot with dal-chawal, puri, or paratha.
These cilantro potatoes, prepared with fresh green cilantro and aromatic spices, are perfect as a side dish for lunch. The special combination of boiled potatoes, lemon, and green chili will give your usual serving of dal-chawal a completely new taste. This spicy dry vegetable side dish is prepared without much hassle in just 10 minutes.
