Plantain with Potatoes/Kaach Kolar Torkari

I was always under the impression that cooking was not for me, I just loved to be pampered by Ma and enjoy her delicious cooking. I always told everyone that I hate to cook but love to eat but Ma always said, “If you love to eat and appreciate the finer points of cooking there is no way you will not enjoy cooking.” She also said, “While cooking you should take a lot of care, it shouldn’t seem to be a chore that you want to get over and done with”. She was right on both counts at least, that is what I realized later in life, but what does one do when one is bogged down by health problems and all one would like to do is run away from the kitchen? Well I found a way out I select a menu that is healthy, easy to cook and does not require too much time in the kitchen.

First of all I would like to make a confession: I have cheated a bit, the lead photo you see here is not what I cooked but it is what Ma had cooked. I chose to publish this photo for it looks far better and neater than what I cooked. However in the video you see my hands rustling up this dish. Another confession- I never really learnt how to cook this dish but I guessed this was how Ma made it, it tasted more or less the same. By the way Kaach Kola is kachcha kela or raw banana or plantains in Bengali and torkari means tarkari/ sabzee/ vegetable.

  One of the reasons why I took another long break was this time both my brother (this blog’s photographer and designer) and I wanted to post a video. If you notice the dish is low on spices as I prefer it that way but you can go ahead and add more chillies (including chopped green chillies) and spices.

Here is the recipe in case you have any problem with the video. But before I go on to the recipe, click here to know more about plantains.

Ingredients:

• 3 Plantains
• 3 or 4 Potatoes
• Approximately ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• A little turmeric powder
• Kashmiri or any other chilli powder to taste.
• 3 to 4 teaspoons of coriander and cumin mix powder
• About a teaspoon of ginger paste
• One tomato chopped
• Salt and sugar to taste.
• Required quantity of oil

 Before I go into the method I would request those trying out this dish to please adjust the quantity of the spices according to your taste.

Method:

• Peel and dice the potatoes and plantains.
• Heat some oil and add the cumin seeds
• Once the seeds begin to splutter add the potatoes and plantain.
• Stir fry them for a while and then add salt and chopped tomato.
• Stir well once the tomato begins to soften slightly add the ginger paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and the coriander and cumin mix powder.
• Stir well so the spices blend well then add a cup of water.
• Cover and cook for a while, stirring it intermittently.
• Add a bit of sugar, this helps balance the flavours, however this is optional, you may avoid the sugar.
• Now cover and cook till done and the water has evaporated.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• This serves as quite a good first course; you can have it with rice or phulka rotis. Your main course can follow this one.

To further enhance the flavour of the dish you can dry roast some cumin seeds. Dry grind the roasted seeds and add to the dish just before removing from the flame. Stir well. And then garnish with coriander leaves. 

I am sending this recipe to this event dedicated to Moms called -- For you, ‘Mum’ organized by Nupur of UK-Rasoi.

Considering the fact that my mum was such a great cook who never seemed to tire of whipping up fantastic food, why am I selecting such a mundane dish for the event? The answer is quite simple, for one this a vegetarian dish as required by the event organizer and this  was what she cooked occasionally as a first course because it is healthy and  easily digestible.

 

 I am sending this to - SchmetterlingWords: Healthy Morsels-Pregnancy for plantain is natural source of iron and therefore good for moms-to-be.