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Dinner with Rukmini
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Keralan Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Coconut
Introduction from Rukmini Iyer
This is a lovely quick dish, known as Ernakulam thoran. It’s one of the first curries that my mum made for my dad when they were dating, clipped out from a popular women’s magazine in the seventies. It has a really simple base of ground coconut with coriander seeds and chilli, which you fry with chickpeas and cooked potatoes. Do look out for the black kala chana specified here in the supermarket – they’re small, dark brown chickpeas with a gorgeous texture, and readily available in the World Food or Asian aisles.
Ingredients
Essential kit
You will need: a spice grinder or high-speed blender or Nutribullet.
Method
Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes until just tender. Drain well, then let them steam-dry for a minute.
Meanwhile, tip the coconut, chilli and coriander seeds into a spice grinder or high-speed blender or Nutribullet and blitz for a few seconds until the coconut is quite fine.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat; when hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to splutter, add the curry leaves and asafoetida and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Lower the heat, then add the ground coconut mixture and stir-fry for a further 1–2 minutes until the coconut has darkened slightly. Tip in the drained kala chana chickpeas and mix well, then add the cubed potatoes and salt. Very gently toss the potatoes through the chickpeas until they’re evenly coated in the coconut spice mix.
Taste for salt, add more if needed, then squeeze over the lemon juice before serving hot. Serve with rice or flatbreads and yogurt for double carbs.
LEFTOVERS: Leftovers are lovely heated through the next day.
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From the book
India Express: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
75 recipes inspired by the vibrant flavours of South India and Bengal
Speedy and fuss-free recipes for maximum flavour in return for minimum effort
Trademark traybakes, as well as stir-fries, snacks, weeknight curries, and simple desserts
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