Anu’s mom’s crispy potato curry

Lunch used to be a big deal in high school.   By the time we reached high school, the lunch we brought from home was no longer ours.  We use to bring food so that our friends could eat our food and we could eat theirs.

Since my students have apparently started reading my blog, I won’t go in to details, but for reasons that will remain unsaid, Supriya and I were moved to a different section, to “separate” us from our friends.  Little did our teachers know that this was a futile endeavor!

Anyway – due to this “separation”, recess and lunch became all too important in my life.  Supriya and I would wait for the bell to ring and would run to meet our friends as though we haven’t seen each other in years.  We would sit around in a circle and wait for everyone to open their lunch boxes - more interested in what some one else has brought than what was in ours.

One of my favorites was Anu’s avakkai sadam (pickle rice) and potato curry.  I don’t miss the avakkai as much – because Anu’s mom still makes it for all of us.  But I do miss her potato curry. 

When Tambrams make potato curry, we always temper it with mustard seeds.  Anu’s mom’s potato curry had no tempering and was crisp even after a few hours in a stainless steel lunch box!

After trying out a few recipes, I think I have one that reminds me of hers.

Here is what you need:

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 3 – 4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder (optional)

 

Here is how you make it

1. Heat oil in a pan.  When the oil is hot add diced potatoes.
2. Keep tossing potatoes on high heat till they become golden brown – you need to stay with the pan - don't try to multitask while making this because your potatoes will get burned!
3. Reduce heat a bit.  Add salt and chili powder (and coriander powder if you are adding it).  Toss to coat well
4. Reduce heat to low and let the potatoes cook through (5 minutes or so)– uncovered.
5. Increase heat to high again and let the potatoes get crispy (for a couple of minutes)

That’s it!  Serve with rotis or rice.  I served these with my karuvappillai kuzhambu, rasam, and rice.

Aloo Baingan dry curry (potato and eggplant curry)

Since I am the only one in my house who likes eggplant, I don’t get to eat it as often as I like. My friend, Hema, is the only other person I know who actually looks forward to eating kathirikkai.  I remember drooling over kathirikkai curry that one of us would bring for lunch.

Now, I sneak it in with occasionally when I make aloo curry at home.                                                             

Aloo-baingan is a great combination – if you know how to make it.  If you don’t make it right, the eggplant gets mushed up and slimy and makes the whole thing look unappetizing!

My trick to make sure this doesn’t happen is to cook the potatoes and eggplant separately and then mix them together in the end. 

You can serve this with either rice or rotis.  I love mixing this with piping hot rice, drizzled with sesame oil.  Just put some rice on your plate, put a heaping serving of this curry on top, drizzle some sesame oil and mix gently with your hand (you have to eat with your hand - put your silverware away!) and dig in.  If you have some papad or chips on the side - you won't need anything else.

 Here is what you need:

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. channa dal
• ¼ tsp hing (asafetida)
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 Japanese eggplant, top cut off and diced
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. fresh masala powder           
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 2 tsp. channa dal
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3 red chilies

1. Dry roast coriander seeds, channa dal, urad dal, black pepper, cumin seeds, and red chilies.
2. Cool and grind this to a coarse powder.

 

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat oil in a pan.  Add mustard seeds.  When they sputter, add the cumin seeds, channa dal, and hing.
2. Once the channa dal changes color, add the onions.
3. Fry for a bit till the onions turn translucent.  Now add the potatoes, a little bit of the turmeric powder, a little chili powder, and some salt.
4. Cover and cook for a few minutes till the potatoes are cooked.
5. Remove the potatoes into a bowl.  In the same pan, now add the eggplant, the rest of the turmeric powder, salt, and chili powder.  Toss to coat well.
6. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Uncover and toss (don’t stir with a ladle/spatula if you don’t want to get the eggplants mushy).
7. Now add the potatoes back in and toss to mix well.  Add the fresh masala powder and cook on medium to high heat for a couple of minutes.

Yummy potato eggplant curry is ready!

Serve hot with rotis or rice.  I love mixing this with plain rice and eating it :)

Aloo Bonda

Ask any Tamilian what “tiffin” goes well with an afternoon cup of filter kaapi – I am sure you will hear “nalla sooda oru bajji or bonda” (nice hot bajjis or bondas) as the top answer.

Bajjis are super easy to make and don’t need any prep work at all.  You can make them in 15 minutes or so from start to finish.  I tend to make bajjis a lot more frequently than bondas when my family is feeling “snacky”.   Bondas need a little bit more planning than bajjis.  You actually need to boil potatoes and make the filling before making the bondas.

It has been a super long time since I made bondas.  I tend to make it when we have company.  And even then, I don’t make it that often because I feel that they taste great when they are hot.  So I don't like making them ahead of time and then serving them after a few hours.

I think my husband had a craving for bondas. So when our annual Balvihar picnic came around and I was debating what to make for the potluck, my husband suggested bondas.

We used to be very active in Balvihar, but the last couple of years I have not been able to go regularly.  Taking up a full time teaching job while simultaneously completing my Alternate Teacher License Program took up most of my weekends this year.   

Our Balvihar community is wonderful and I really missed meeting them.  The picnic was a good chance to catch up.  At the picnic, kids graduating are recognized and honored.  As always, there is plenty of delicious food. 

I did end up making bondas for the picnic.  I made them in the morning and even though they were not piping hot, they tasted great!

Here is what you need:

(to make about 20 bondas)

For the filling:

• 5 – 6 medium sized potatoes
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. split urad dal
• ¼ tsp. hing (asafetida)
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• few curry leaves
• 1” piece ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• juice of ½ lime or lemon
• cilantro for garnish

For the batter:

• 2 cups besan (gram flour)
• ½ cup rice flour
• ½ - 1 tsp. red chili powder
• salt to taste
• water

• oil for deep frying 

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker.  Peel and mash well.
2. Heat oil in a pan.  Add the mustard seeds.  When they sputter, add the urad dal and hing.
3. When the urad dal turns golden, add the onions, green chilies, and curry leaves.  Fry till the onions turn translucent.
4. Add ginger and garlic (if you are using it) and mix well.
5. Add the turmeric powder and salt.
6. Add the potatoes. Mix well and cook on medium heat for about 5 – 8 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat.  Add lemon juice and cilantro.  Mix well.  Let this cool a bit.
8. Make medium sized balls (a little larger than ping pong balls) and set aside.
9. Mix all the dry ingredients for the batter.  Add water a little at a time and make a thick batter.
10. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai.
11. When the oil is hot, turn down the heat to medium. 
12. Take each ball and dip it into the batter so that it is coated well. Drop these gently into the oil.
13. Fry the bondas till they are golden brown all around, gently turning them a couple of times during frying.
14. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels.

 

 

Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Aloo Gobi - dry

“What’s for dinner?”  Some days, I just wish I didn’t have to hear those words.  Coming up with something different to make every night is really tough.  Especially if you haven’t had time to go grocery shopping.

The last couple of weeks I have had parent teacher conferences on Thursdays and so haven’t been able to make it to my Indian store on the day they get vegetables.  I have been improvising by making soups, pasta, chole, pulavs etc.  I also had idli and dosa batter so that we could just make sambar and have that for dinner one night.

I always have potatoes on hand.  If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that my family loves potatoes.  I also had some cauliflower left - and not much else.  Since both my husband and son love aloo gobi, it meant that I did not have to make two different things for dinner!

I make this a few different ways – sometimes dry and sometimes with a bit of gravy – depending on my mood.  Since I had ghugni, I decided to make this dry.

 

Here is what you need:

• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1” piece ginger, slivered
• ½ large onion, diced
• 3 - 4 green chilies, slit lengthwise
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• salt to taste
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. amchur powder (dried mango powder)
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 tsp. kasoori methi
• some chopped cilantro for garnish

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat oil in a pan.  Add cumin seeds.
2. When the cumin seeds change color, add garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 30 seconds.  Now add the onions.
3. When the onions turn translucent add the green chilies, tomatoes, and salt.  Mix well.
4. When the tomatoes get mushy, take a small bowl with a little bit of water, add all the spices (turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and amchur powder).  Mix well and pour this into the pan.
5. Fry this on medium heat till the spices are well blended and the masala smells great.
6. Add the diced potatoes. Cover and cook for 5 – 7 minutes.
7. Add the cauliflower.  Mix well.  Cover and cook for a few more minutes – maybe another 10 minutes so that the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked but still firm.
8. Take the kasoori methi in the palm of your hand and crush it over the pan.  Mix well.
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with rotis.

Dry aloo curry with tomatoes and onions

I am surprised that I have not posted more recipes with potatoes.  It is by far the most favorite vegetable in our house.   Both my husband and younger son will eat it without complaining.  And I make some form of potatoes at least once a week.

Since it is one of our favorite vegetables, I cook it several different ways so that there is some variety.  I tend to make it as a gravy when I make puris, but on almost all other occasions, I make a dry subzi that can be eaten with both rice and rotis.

My oldest is now back for winter vacation and on the day that he came back, I made these potatoes.  He is cooking for himself now and wanted to know how to make these.  So am posting this recipe so that my baby can make these when he wants to.

Here is what you need:

• 3 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. jeera (cumin seeds)
• ½ tsp. saunf (fennel seeds)
• ¼ tsp. hing (asafetida)
• few curry leaves (I didn't have any at home, but be sure to add these)
• 2 green chilies, slit length-wise
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 6 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, and cubed
• ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
• 3 tsp. red chili powder
• salt to taste

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat oil.  Add mustard seeds, jeera, saunf , and hing.
2. When mustard seeds sputter, add curry leaves and green chilies. Sauté for a minute or so.
3. Add onions and garlic.  Sauté on medium heat till they turn translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook till they are mushy and mixed in well with the onions.
5. Add potatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
6. Toss to coat the potatoes uniformly.
7. Cook covered, on medium heat till the potatoes have absorbed all the flavors – about 10 – 15 minutes.
8. Remove the cover and cook on med-high heat so that the potatoes get slightly crispy.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Samosas made with uncooked flour tortillas

Everyone likes samosas – right?  I mean  - what's not to like?  Crispy flaky crust filled with a spicy potato filling - especially on a cold or rainy day - served with a steaming cup of ginger chai - can't ask for anything more!

I don’t think I have ever tried making samosas at home.  If we feel like having samosas, we either buy them from the Indian store or at the local restaurant.  It seems like such a chore to make the dough, then make the filling, then roll out the dough, fill it, and fry it.  The toughest part for me is to make the dough and roll it out.  I make a lot of dishes from scratch – some a lot more elaborate than samosas, but I have this aversion to rolling out dough.  I don’t make rotis or phulkas also for the same reason.  If I feel like having homemade rotis, I rely on my good friend to invite me over for some.

Anyway, when we went on our ski trip in December with five families, my friend suggested that we make samosas.  I was really apprehensive, but she kept assuring me that with a few helping hands, it will get done very quickly.  Her trick was to use uncooked flour tortillas (from Costco) for the covering.

We recruited a couple of helpers - my husband was one – and it did go very quickly.  We had garama-garam samosas and chai after a cold day on the mountains.

My husband became very confident after this and thinks of himself as the samosa-making expert in our house.  We were having a few people over for dinner recently, and when I suggested that we make samosas – he was ready to help!  We made the samosas the night before the party and warmed them up in the oven just before our guests arrived. 

It really does get done quickly when you have a couple of helpers.  My mom is visiting us.  She and my husband made the samosas and I did the frying.  We were done making about 40 samosas in less than an hour.

Here is what you need:

For the filling:

• 8 – 10 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
• 3 tsp. oil
• ½ tsp. cumin seeds
• ½ tsp. hing (asafetida)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 – 4 green chilies, diced
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp. red chili powder
• ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. amchur (dried mango) powder
• chopped cilantro

For the samosas:

• uncooked flour tortillas
• a thick paste of flour and water to seal the edges
• oil for deep-frying

Here is how we made it:

To make the filling:

1. Heat oil in a deep pan.  Add cumin seeds and hing.
2. When the cumin seeds change color, add the onions and green chilies.
3. Fry till the onions start turning slightly brown.  Now add the potatoes and all the dry powders – including salt.  Mix well.
4. Let this cook for a few minutes.  Add the chopped cilantro.  Mix well and turn off the heat.  Set aside.

To make the samosas:

Heat oil for deep-frying in a kadai or pot with deep sides.
Take the flour tortillas.  You can take a few at a time - I am showing one here to give you an idea.

Cut the flour tortillas into thirds.

Make a cone – as shown in the pictures below.  Smear a little bit of the flour paste along the edges and press to seal.

Fill the cone with enough potato mixture, making sure that you can close it without the filling overflowing.

Again smear a little bit of the flour paste and seal the edges.

Once you have a few ready, put them gently into the hot oil and fry till they are golden brown, gently turning them to make sure that all sides are cooked.

Serve hot with cilantro chutney and chai

Mumbai Pav Bhaji – recipe from the back of a box

Even though I had traveled quite a bit while living in India, I had never been to Bombay (that is what it was called when I was still living in India).  I had heard so much about the place - the shopping, the beaches, the food, the people.

On one of our trips to India a while back, we decided to visit my husband’s uncle and aunt (mama and mami).  They have lived in Mumbai forever and had been inviting us to spend time with them – and we decided to take them up on their offer.  

It was a fantastic trip! We had a great time with mama and mami.  He is my husband’s youngest mama and they get along great.  Both my husband and his mama have similar personalities and also have the knack of annoying their wives with very little effort :)

Mama and mami took us around Mumbai and showed us the sights.  We saw the Gateway of India, the Taj Palace Hotel, Marine Drive, Juhu, Versova Beach (my husband insisted on visiting this to see where numerous smuggling scenes have been shot in Hindi movies) and various other attractions.  We even took a ferry ride on the Arabian Sea!  It was a fantastic trip!

Before we left on this trip to India, my friend Swati - who was born and brought up in Mumbai, gave us some tips on things that we have to do and food to try.  On her list were vada pav, dabeli, and Mumbai pav bhaji.

Though mama and mami were a bit apprehensive about letting us try street food on the street, mainly because they didn’t want us to fall sick, we managed to sample some authentic Mumbai street food! 

We had pav bhaji in a decent food stall and vada pav from a street side shop near their house.  I loved the food so much that I decided to pick up some masalas to bring back with me.  One of those was called Mumbai Pav Bhaji Masala (I think it was Everest brand).

When I came back here, I used this masala to make Pav Bhaji.  It came out great!  I just followed the recipe on the back of the box.  We get Mumbai Pav Bhaji Masala in our Indian store now (Badshah brand). I have made this several times and each time, it has been a hit. 

Other than some very slight modifications, I follow the recipe on the back of the box.  I use oil to sauté the onions first and then add butter later in the recipe.  I also don’t add garam masala.  I use veggies I have on hand and tend to use more cauliflower than potatoes.  I don’t grind the veggies, but mash them up with a potato masher.

 

Here is what you need:

• 3 - 4 medium potatoes
• 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced  (you can add cabbage, peas or other vegetables of your choice)
• 4 tsp. oil
• ½ tsp. hing
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp. ginger garlic paste
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped
• 4 – 6 green chilies, diced
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3 – 4 cloves
• 2 – 3 Tbsp. Mumbai Pav Bhaji Masala
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. coriander powder
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. amchur powder
• 3 Tbsp. butter

Here is how I made it:

1. Boil the potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower (or any other vegetable you are using)
2. Peel the potatoes.  Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a big pot.  Add hing and after a minute add onions.  Sauté for a few minutes till they turn translucent.  Add the ginger garlic paste.  Mix well.
4. Now add green bell peppers.  Sauté for a few more minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, green chilies, cumin seeds, cloves, pav bhaji masala, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and amchur powder. Mix well.
6. Let this cook for a few minutes till the tomatoes become mushy and all the masalas have blended well.
7. Now add the butter.  After it melts, add the boiled veggies and potatoes (kind of mash up the potatoes while you are adding it to the pot).
8. Mix everything together.  Take a potato masher and mash up the veggies.  Taste and adjust seasoning – adding more pav bhaji masala and salt if necessary.
9. Turn off the heat after about 10 minutes.

To serve

• pav buns
• butter
• finely chopped onions
• chopped cilantro
• lime/lemon wedges 

1. Heat a tawa.  Melt some butter on it and toast the pav buns so that they turn golden brown on both sides.
2. Put these on a plate with a generous ladle full of bhaji (vegetable), garnished with onions, cilantro, and lime/lemon wedges.
3. Enjoy

A 10 - minute no-onion no-garlic potato gravy

It has been a hectic beginning to our summer vacation. We got our carpet replaced – a long over due project.  Since the carpet replacement involved emptying most of my closets and bookshelves, it seemed like a good idea to get rid of all the junk I have accumulated over the years.  We were able to donate a ton of stuff that we no longer use – books, toys, board games, clothes, shoes etc. to a local charity. 

As is the case, when I am involved in some project like this, I don’t find time to do groceries.  Other than potatoes (which I always seem to have enough of), I did not have much else to work with.

So for a few days, we had to make do with quick and easy dinners (some involving potatoes)  or leftovers.  We even ended up having maggi once!

My friend, Shashi had made an awesome potato masala.  She had this special masala powder from Delhi.   All she did was tadka with cumin seeds, mixed this masala with water and poured it into the kadai.  She let this boil for a bit, then added the boiled potatoes, and garnished with cilantro.  And voila!  A yummy potato curry was ready.

Since I did not have this masala at home, I improvised the first time I made this.  Mine did not have all the subtle flavors, but it was pretty good.  I have been making this quick curry regularly and get no complaints at home. And it only takes about 10 minutes or so to make after you boil the potatoes.

Here is what you need:

• 5 - 6 potatoes, boiled and peeled
• 3 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp. hing (asafetida)
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. amchur (dried mango) powder
• ½ tsp. fennel powder
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnish

 

Here is how I made it:

1. Heat oil in a pot.  Add cumin seeds and hing.
2. In a small bowl, take a little bit of water and add all the dry powders (red chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, amchur).  Mix well.
3. Pour this gently into the kadai, being careful not to get splattered.  Add salt.
4. Add a little more water and bring this to a boil.
5. Coarsely mash up the potatoes with your hand so that there are some big chunky pieces.
6. Add this to the masala.  Add more water if necessary.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 6 - 8 minutes till the potatoes absorb all the flavors.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

 Serve with rotis or puris.

Sreekanth’s Special Potato Curry

-->It does happen, that sometimes (very rarely) a week or so goes by and I have not made potatoes in my house.  If it does happen, then my dear husband starts having withdrawal symptoms and decides to make his special potato curry.  He also makes this when we have house guests, who stay with us for more than a couple of days, or if I am traveling and he needs to feed himself and the kids.

Last week, it somehow happened that I did not make potatoes for the entire week.  So, on Saturday, even though we had leftovers, my husband decided to make it.  I took pictures so that I could post it on my blog.

Even though he messes up my spice arrangement, and uses more turmeric than necessary, and uses a Corelle plate as a cutting board – instead of the numerous cutting boards we have, and sometimes peels more potatoes than he is going to use (I have now trained him to use all the potatoes he peels saying that if the curry is left over, we can eat it later, but a peeled potato, sitting in the fridge discolors and might go waste), I have learned to sit back and enjoy the results!

Here is his recipe.

You will need:

• 6 medium potatoes, washed, peeled, and diced (he added a couple of unpeeled, diced potatoes)
• 3 – 4 tsp. oil
• ¼ tsp. mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp. cumin seeds
• ½ tsp. split urad dal
• salt to taste
• ¼ tsp. turmeric (he uses more)
• 1½ - 2 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. fresh masala powder (recipe below)
• dry roast 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, 2 Tbsp. channa dal, 1 Tbsp. urad dal, 1 Tbsp. black pepper corns, 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds, 4 -6 red chilies.  Powder and store in airtight container.       

  

 

Here is how he made it:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan.  Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and urad dal.
2. When the mustard seeds sputter, add the diced potatoes and mix well.
3. Add salt, turmeric powder, and chili powder.  Toss to coat everything well.  Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Check to see if the potatoes are cooked through and cook uncovered, on medium heat for a few more minutes so that the potatoes get crispy.
5. Add the fresh masala powder and stir to coat the potatoes.  Turn off the heat after a couple of minutes.

Serve with rasam, sambar, rice or rotis.

Quick Channa Masala from a Can (Canned Garbanzo Beans Curry)

Another weekend is over and I have no idea where the time went.  Sometimes I feel that weekends are busier than weekdays.  At least on weekdays, I have a routine. 

I had so many tasks that I wanted to finish - and, there was a wonderful party at a friends’ place that I did not want to miss.  So I made my list and tackled the tasks, slowly making a dent in my to-do list.  Unfortunately, a few remained "un-done".  Grocery shopping was one of them.

Monday afternoon, I came home from work and opened the fridge to see what to make for dinner.  Of course, there was nothing I could use.  I had some tomatoes, a carrot, some cilantro, a  ¼ head of cabbage, and a few leftovers – not enough to serve the three of us.  If I was hoping to have my fridge miraculously stocked up with fresh veggies – that had not happen.

I went over to the pantry and started scanning the shelves, waiting for inspiration to strike, when I spotted these cans of garbanzo beans.  I had some uncooked flour tortillas from Costco and decided that my life just got easier – tasty dinner in a jiffy.

I prefer the taste of home cooked channa – where you soak the dried beans and then cook them yourself.  But hey, canned garbanzo is a great substitute if you are in a rush.

Here is what you need:

(to feed a family of four)

• 2 cans garbanzo beans (without salt – if available)
• 3 tsp. oil
• 1 tsp. jeera (cumin seeds)
• ¼ tsp. hing (asafetida)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic
• 1” piece ginger, slivered
• 2 – 3 green chilies, slit length-wise
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. jeera powder
• 1 tsp. amchur powder
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp. kasoori methi
• cilantro for garnish

Here is how I made it:

1. Wash the canned garbanzo beans in several changes of water, drain, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan.  Add the cumin seeds.
3. When they change color, add the hing and fry for a few seconds.
4. Add chopped onions, garlic, and ginger.  Sauté for a few minutes.
5. When the onions become translucent, add the tomatoes and green chilies.  Fry till this whole thing gets pulpy.  Add salt and mix well.
6. Take a little bit of water in a small bowl.  Add the turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and amchur.  Pour this mixture into the pan.  Stir.
7. Cover and cook this for a few minutes.
8. Add the diced potatoes, the garbanzo beans and some water.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, till the potatoes are done
9. Crush the kasoori methi in the palm of your hands and sprinkle it over the gravy.
10. Turn off the heat.  Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rotis, fresh slided onions, and green chilies.