Bataka nu Rasavalu Shaak
Author: 
Cuisine: Indian (Gujarati Thali)
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Sweet and Sour Potatoes
Ingredients
  • 2 medium size bataka (potatoes), raw or boiled, cut into ½ inch dice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • 1 dry red chili
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves, optional
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder or 1 minced jalapeno or serrano chili or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dhana jeeru (spice blend of coriander and cumin powder)
  • 1 small piece (golf ball size) jaggery (Indian raw sugar) or 2 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 teaspoon tamarind pulp or 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup water or as needed
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, for garnish
Directions
  1. In a medium heavy bottomed pot heat oil on medium high heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds and let it sizzle. Lower the heat and add asafetida, red chili, curry leaves, turmeric, chili powder or green chili. Add potatoes, ½ cup of water for boiled potatoes and 1 cup of water for raw potatoes. Season with salt, mix everything and let the mixture come to boil on medium high heat. Let raw potatoes cook covered with lid for 10-12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add dhana jeeru, jaggery or sugar and lemon juice or tamarind pulp or tomato paste. Let the potatoes heat for 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens with all the spices. If the potato mixture looks dry add more water. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with any Indian flat bread.
Notes
To make this recipe tastier, use 1 tablespoon more oil and make it spicier by adding more chili powder or more green chilies. You can also add eggplant or tomatoes in this recipe. You can cut down potato to one and add 2 tomatoes or half eggplant. With tomatoes, add it for the last 2 to 3 minutes. If you are making eggplant and potatoes, do not boil potatoes. Instead, follow the above recipe up to the adding water part and then cover the pot and let the vegetables cook until they are fork tender. You can also cook butternut squash same way, with cumin seeds only.
Recipe by Lovely Masala at http://www.lovelymasala.com/recipe-gujarati-bataka-nu-rasavalu-shaak/