Bodi aur alu ki sabji (long beans n potato curry)

Whenever I plan to post one of my recipes I always end up thinking whether people will actually bother to look at it….will they take time to ponder over my recipes and actually cook it, not that I am not sure about them but because they are plethora of blogs catering to our taste buds and you really have to offer something different or appealing in order to grab the eyeballs. There are blogs that offer recipes with mind-boggling and exotic ingredients that I don’t or won’t buy just for the heck of it. I don’t know why but I like to settle for flavors that are earthier, more homely or more motherly to be precise when it comes to choose or try recipes. I like to stay in that cocoon of the comfort food that has something to do with my childhood or my mom or my daughter.

Blame it on the weekend blues or the fat yummy paneer roll that I had to give a miss at the bakery yesterday…….it’s true that I am feeling a little blue. It’s not very long since I started this blog and I constantly haggle my hubby for a positive feedback so that I post at least few recipes a month. I can’t function without the right amount of impetus provided by my near and ones and guess what! Few of the readers actually came forward to pass on that precious feedback just in time when I was planning to abandon my efforts. Thanks Geri and Vinaya…..from the bottom of my heart for the encouraging words.

Now coming back to the recipe, long beans that more or less looks like the cousins of the French bean is a common vegetable found in the kitchen be it north or the south. This recipe, again my mom’s, (wondering how mothers’ tend to influence us so much, always) is a simple curry cooked when the phali/bora/bodi aka long beans are in the season. We used to relish it with steaming rice, dal and a mango pickle. The subtle flavors of the curry with light spices is perfect for light dinner with especially enjoyed with chapatis and salad of your choice.

Ingredients:

2 cups long beans chopped in 1 inch pieces

2 medium potatoes cut in even chunks

2 medium onions sliced

3 medium tomatoes chopped

3 green chilies chopped

1’ inch ginger grated

10 cloves of garlic crushed

Spices:

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ black pepper powder

1 tsp red chili powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp kitchen king masala (optional)

¼ tsp garam masala

For seasoning:

1 tsp whole mustard seeds

2 bay leaves

2 tbs mustard oil (can use any veg oil)

Green coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

After you string and nip the head of the beans, cut in 2 inch pieces. Heat ½ tsp of the oil and sauté the beans on medium flame till it gets a light colour. Remove and keep aside. Now heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds. Let them crackle. Add the bay leaves, a pinch of grated ginger and the chopped green chillies. Let the chillies and ginger get some colour. Add the sliced onion and stir for a min. Add potatoes and mix .Lower the flame and cover for 2 min. You will notice the onions are softer now and the potatoes are half cooked. Tip in the tomatoes first, followed by remaining ginger, garlic, all the spices including salt except the garam masala. No need to mix. Cover for 4-5 min on low flame. You will notice tomatoes are soft and potatoes will be cooked. Give it a mix. Add the sautéed beans and mix. Cover for another 2-3 min. Add ½ cup water if you want thick gravy 1 cup if you want the gravy to be thin. Bring to a boil and simmer for a minute. Garnish with chopped green coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapatis.