COCONUT ALOO

These are Friday night scenarios at my home .... cooking fresh with left over raw ingredients in the pantry. I prefer cooking vegetarian meals on a Friday, as the next two days will be too much of non-vegetarian fair...... and if it is vegetarian, I need to be extra cautious while cooking and pairing the mains with sides...... What goes inside my mind is that ..... there has to be smiling faces around when I serve the platter. I do get to see that when I prepare this kind of vegetarian food and not that kind that we grew up eating. I meant if there is a platter of "shaak, panchtorkari, daaler bora / beguni and dal".... that is a vegetarian platter of greens, mixed vegetables, lentil or eggplant fritters and lentil curry ....... the men at this home will eat the rice with lentil curry with a good number of fritters and totally skip the vegetables.... Hence, on days we are not eating out, I try to create that restaurant like ambience right at home whether I am cooking exotics or a platter as simple as this.... COCONUT ALOO which I served with herbed butter baby naan and dry fruit pulao. Just a little trick and it clicks.  Breads are much loved at this home that they can have it just like that with dollops of butter or ghee. The lady of the house will not serve it that way but prepare a delicious sides with shredded coconut, potato and spices and name it COCONUT ALOO. I could have named it narkol aloo.... however I will put it this way.... I try to use Bengali names for authentic Bengali dishes.... I have some in line.....  will do as and when I feel like.

At the moment, I do not know what I am writing .... it is a Sunday and the man of this house has to play all variety of songs and movies on the screen... he is a fan of Kapoor junior as much as I am.... finding it difficult to concentrate .... I can never multi task.... well he is just a little boy compared to the count of my grey strands..... the eye lashes and brows are also turning grey... I have stopped bothering ever since the "chote nawab" had chosen Kareena Kapoor over me... yes.... post Dil Chahta Hai I became an ardent fan of Saif Ali Khan ... the way he transformed and improved his acting skills is good enough reason to be his fan.... but he disowned me.... so I will not watch his latest.... CHEF.... where he plays the role of a chef.... I do not wish to see him love what I love .... on screen... in public .... neither should I show any interest in his personal likes and dislikes.... he is not mine .... Kareena must be taking care of that.... 

Come let us give a big shout out for Vidya's Tumhari Sulu, Irfan's Doob and Amir's Secret Superstar .... Well you are not an idiot like me and know it well if there is a Kareena and me to choose from ... the 'chote nawab' will always choose a Kareena .... You should watch them all .... do not worry lah... I still remain his fan because I do not allow negativity to breed within .... We should not harbour offence against people unless they make a serious attempt to insult  your 'self'...... Swelling of heart is an 'inside' thing and only we have to take care of our own... no one will really care. 

Come.... let us prepare this no onion, no garlic vegetarian delight called COCONUT ALOO instead..... "Saifina"... the glamorous Bollywood couple may not like it but my man smiled when I served it .... one who through all thick and thin is always beside me.... If I am getting filmy today, let me mention another film ... a Bengali box office success "Projapoti Biskut"...directed by an once upon a time friend from college, the very talented Anindya Chatterjee .... All this while I was watching how sincerely he was doing all the publicity for his baby .... the music of which is directed together by him and equally talented Anupam Roy ... Santanu Moitro and Prasen who I do not know... May be someday we get to see it... yet to be lucky enough to watch Aparna Sen's Sonata ... starring Shabana, Aparna and Lillete Dubey.... When actors of their calibre come together ... we have to watch it..... till date we have not missed a single movie directed by Aparna Sen .... too much of a favourite.... 

If you still have the energy to read my trash, thank you for tolerating this senile ... I get more so after a Saturday night fever.... I was unable to find the way to my home even through the basement yesterday midnight.... hahaha.... It feels good to be bad at times .... Coming to COCONUT ALOO...... it was Friday night... with hungry stomach growling... I could not manage stepwise pictures really ... the three dishes took me nearly three hours .... but it is worth it.... The stuffed red chilli pickle recipe needs to be shared soon ...

INGREDIENTS :

Potato : 4big
Shredded Coconut : 1medium cup
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Asafoetida : 2pinches
Cumin Seeds : 1tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1tsp + 2pinches
Fennel Seeds : 1/2tsp
Urad Dal : 2tsp [split black lentil]
Black Pepper Corn : 1tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 4
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Bay Leaf : 1
Oil : 4tsp

METHOD :

Wash the potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Take them all in a plate, microwave at high for 2 minutes. Let cool, peel.

Cut each potato into 4 pieces. Rub with salt and half of the turmeric powder. Keep aside for 5-7 minutes.

Dry roast the cumin.... coriander..... fennel seeds, urad dal, black pepper corns, dry red chillies together and dry grind to a powder.

Heat oil in a pan.... fry the potatoes in batches till golden brown. Take out.

Temper oil with asafoetida, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Add the shredded coconut and fry till they are toasted well. Take out.

Add the ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the dry roasted spice powder and the toasted coconut together and fold in well. Stir for 1-2 minutes and add the fried potato pieces.

Fold in the entire mixture well and add 1 medium cup water. Cover cook for 7-8 minutes. Check in between.... if we require water we will sprinkle little. I wished for a dry potato dish.

Once done, add the lemon juice and fold in gently.

Transfer to a serving bowl. I served them with herbed baby butter naan and dry fruit pulao.