Potato and Pea Curry
I've always loved vegetarian curries. I particularly love to contrast a hot,
spicy curry with a spiced fruit side dish, all served with rice. If you are
not as adventurous about the spices, just decrease the amounts or leave out
some of the hot pepper altogether. This particular curry is adapted from
Tamales World Tour, the TV Food Network.
Ingredients
- 3 large, firm potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 heaping T. pureed garlic
- 1 heaping T. finely chopped fresh ginger
- 3 T. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 T. ground coriander
- 1/2 T. dried red pepper flakes
- 3 tomatoes (see below), peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 cups water
- 1 T. salt
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 T. brown sugar
- 1/4 cup, or more lime juice
Peeling Tomatoes
To peel ripe tomatoes, place them in a brown paper bag, resting in the kitchen sink. Bring a pot
of water to a boil, pour into the bag of tomatoes, and close the top of the bag. By the time the
water is cool enough to touch, the skin on the tomatoes will be loose enough to gently press away from
the tomatoes.
Preparing the curry
Place the cubed potatoes in a bowl and rinse with cold water until the water is clear (this is to remove the excess starch).
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onions until brown. At the same time
heat the remaining oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Fry the potatoes until golden and add the onions.
Add the garlic and ginger, and stir 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the spices. Return the pot to the heat
and cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, water, and salt.
Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the
peas are heated through. Adjust the seasonings.
Serve over rice, accompanied by Spicy Apple Chutney.