Comfort food - Part 2

Yes, its that time again, when I am all alone..for about 2 weeks! :(
With my fiance off to Paris, its been boring week. My work has taken most of the time  and cooking really wasn't on my priority list. But every girl has her needs and I definitely needed some good old comfort food.
So today's blog is going to be listing some of my favorite recipes:
(I apologize for the bad quality of pictures. The good camera is travelling too..so I have to resort to my poor phone camera)

So the first one is a true pleasure food for me..of course it comes with its own package of guilt..but thats not to be considered for now. :P

Batata Kacharya (Indian-style potato fries)
Kacharya is a Marathi word which means cutting thin slices, in this case potato slices. Its a real simple recipe where in you just saute the slices in a oil which is flavored using basic Indian spices. Here is the recipe,

Ingredients:
2-3 medium size potatoes (I usually use white/yukon gold, easy to use with skin)
1 medium onion thinly sliced
4-5 curry leaves
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 - 11/2 tbsp red chilli powder
salt to taste

• Wash and clean the potatoes properly, I use them with skin, but you can peel them if you want. Cut potato into two halves and cut each half into thin slices uniformly. The slices have to be really thin so as to cook them without need of water. Place the slices in a bowlful of water until ready to cook.
• Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds. As they splutter, add asafoetida and turmeric powder, followed by curry leaves.
• Add the sliced onion and let it saute well. Add the red chili powder, makes it easier to get it uniformly spread.
• Now add the potatoes and mix them to cover each piece with oil. Fry the potatoes on medium-high flame for 7-8 min continuously making sure that they don't stick to the bottom of pan. Cover for 5 minutes or until the potato pieces are just tender. Remove the lid and add salt.
• Turn the heat to high and keep stirring the potatoes until almost crisp. Serve with chapati or phulka. I usually accompany this with a salad/raita to waive off the guilt. :)

The next one is something that I have learned to use in anything and everything. I absolutely love mint chutney. I have made recipes which incorporate this chutney with rice, potatoes, chapati, bread and of course Indian chaat. I usually make this chutney in batches and use it all throughout the month. 

Back in India, I would spread it on chapati and toast this to a crisp texture. It was such a simple yet healthy snack for those evening cravings!

But this week, I was dreaming of a devilish grilled cheese sandwich! So right at the beginning of the week I made this chutney and have been making this simple sandwich all week. :) 

Mint chutney is a well-known recipe amongst Indians and has its own variations created throughout different households. Here is my version,

Mint chutney-grilled cheese sandwich

For the chutney:

1 bunch fresh mint leaves

2-3 cloves garlic

1 inch piece ginger

4-5 green chillies (vary them based on your choice) 

1 tbsp lime juice

salt to taste

For the sandwich:

2 slices of bread

shredded cheese of your choice

• Grind the leaves,ginger,garlic and chillies to a smooth paste. Add little bit of water if required to help in grinding and adjust consistency. Add the lime juice and salt and adjust to taste.
• Store it in a air tight container and refrigerate.
• Now to make the sandwich spread a spoonful of the chutney on each slice. Add the cheese and toast the sandwich until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

I have to work over the weekend but hopefully it will be all worth by the end of the upcoming week. I finally go on a mini vacation after almost 1.5 years! Yes I cant believe it too! I will report back with all the updates! :)

Have a good week everyone!