Chettinad cuisine, simply put, is the cuisine hailing from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, which is dominated by the Chettiar Nambiars. Chettinad preparations are renowned for its spicy and complex flavours. None of the spices seems redundant, and every ingredient works together in harmony to offer something truly unique. Having said that, none of the ingredients used in Chettinad dishes is alien; you have known them all your life, it is just about getting the combination right. Now, most of you may have tried out chicken Chettinad with appams. It is one of the many popular dishes of Chettinad cusine, but have you ever tried potato Chettinad? This vegetarian dish can be paired with anything from rice, parotta or appam. Moreover, it is also a cakewalk to put it together.
This recipe is not a curried preparation, but a semi-dried one and the star highlight of this dish has to be the delicate Chettinadu masala.
(Also Read: Indian Cooking Tips: How To Make Chettinad Chicken Curry)
What Is In The Chettinadu Masala?
To make the masala you would first have to roast the coconut, whole red chillies, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, kalpasi bark, star anise seeds, black peppercorns, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Make sure you only shallow roast them, and then grind them into a dry masala using a mixer, blender or a food processor.
The next component of the recipe is potato. This recipe uses baby potatoes or urulai. You can use regular potatoes, but baby potatoes work better here. The baby potatoes need to be roasted in a pan with a hint of oil and onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric powder, red chillies, coriander powder and salt. Then smear them in the Chettinadu masala, until all potatoes are covered in it nicely. Potatoes are a common fixture in Indian households and scream comfort, this dish is also a fine example of nice side-dish that you can prepare just about any time for a quick homely meal.
(Also Read: Explore The Real Flavours Of Chettinad Cuisine And Its Culinary Treasures In Karaikudi)
Sounds like an easy recipe, why don't you give it a try? Here's a step-by-step recipe of Potato Chettinad. You would also find the full recipe of Chettinadu masala in this link, along with a detailed list of ingredients.
You can make a batch of Chettinadu masala and store them for later use. You can also use this masala in your other preparations for that extra edge. Do try this recipe soon and let us know how you liked it in the comments section below.
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