Aloo Hara Masala, Potato Green Curry

Weekend Food vs Weekdays Food:

From Monday to Thursday, I try my best to stick mostly to simple, vegetarian food because weekends are usually quite indulgent at our place. Even if we don’t have company, we have movie night or a picnic in our own garden or we are celebrating weather – basically we end up finding some excuse for comfort food! To keep the balance in our life intact, it’s necessary that weekdays go by simple and smooth.

How to Keep a Simple Menu Fun:

It actually requires more creative imagination and organisation
The menu doesn’t have to be elaborate but it should still offer a variety of flavours and textures. You can do this by serving some chutney https://www.foodaholic.biz/raw-mango-chutney-two-ways-kairi-ki-chutney/
chutney or pickles alongside a humble main to pick up the flavours. Or you can make simple sides with available ingredients. A cumin raita, a fresh salad or a quick vegetable side changes a boring main into a satisfying meal.
I usually make a main dish with 2-3 fun sides to keep the fun factor alive. This Aloo Hara Masala or Potatoes in a Green Curry are one of those sides that make a routine Daal Chawal (rice n lentils) meal something to look forward to.

Simple but Delicious Comfort of Aloo Hara Masala:

Really can’t think of anything simpler than this aloo Hara masala even for the beginners in kitchen. All you really have to do is cook potatoes with salt and turmeric, puree the greens with ginger, garlic and finish cooking potatoes in this green curry. We don’t add too many spices or red chillies to this curry to keep the green colour from turning brown. The potatoes beautifully soak up all the powerful flavours from coriander, spinach and other greens.

Get Creative!

You can be creative and mix’n’ match some other greens in the Hara masala too, but cilantro or coriander remains one of the prominent ingredients in the mix for the fresh green taste, summery taste. Instead of potatoes you can also make this dish with mushrooms, boiled eggs, cauliflowet florets, sweet potato or any of your favourite vegetables that would hold their shape.

Ingredients:
1 kg medium potatoes
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 cup chopped spinach
2 cups chopped coriander
1/4 cup mint or basil leaves
4 green chilli peppers
1 stalk spring onion
1/2 cup dairy milk or coconut milk
2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

This Is What You Do:
Wash, peel and cut potatoes into halves or fours. If using baby potatoes, you can cook them whole.

Add potatoes to a deep pan with salt, turmeric and half cup water.

Cook covered on medium low heat till potatoes are half done.

Meanwhile add onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, spinach, coriander, mint, green chilli peppers, Spring onion with milk/coconut milk. Blend to a smooth puree.

Add the green puree to the potatoes in the pan. Cook covered on medium low heat till potatoes are completely done and liquid reduced. Add oil/ghee. Sauté for a couple of minutes till Hara masala coats the potatoes.

Squeeze a lemon and serve hot as side with lentils, roti or rice.

Serves 4-6