Ingredients

• 1/2 kg. potatoes

• 200 gm. onions, peeled and sliced thinly. The picture here shows onions of two colour, but this because of what I had at the time of taking pictures!

• 2-3 green chillies (adjust to taste), chopped

• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

• 1/2 -1 cup peas, frozen or fresh shelled (optional, when in season)

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

• Salt to taste

• A small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped

• 1/2-1 cup water

• For tarka or tempering

• 1 tbsp. oil

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds

• A large pinch of asafoetida powder

• 1 tsp. black gram (urad/urd/urid) dal, skinless

• 1 tsp. Bengal gram or chana dal

• 1-2 dry, red chillies, broken up

• 10-12 curry leaves (not bay leaves)

Instructions

1. Boil potatoes, in their skin, in a pressure cooker for 3-4 pressures or in a pan of boiling water until tender. You can cook them in a microwave steamer for 6-10 minutes.

2. Allow to cool, peel and break roughly into small pieces. Keep aside.

3. Tempering & making the filling:

4. Heat oil in a wok.

5. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, chana and urad dal, and let the seeds splutter. Keep the lid on, to avoid seeds jumping all over your kitchen.

6. When dals begin to turn brown, add curry leaves, broken red chillies and stir.

7. Add onions, green chillies, ginger and fry until softened, not browned.

8. Add potatoes (and peas, if used). Mix.

9. Take 1/2 cup of water and add turmeric and salt to it.

10. Then pour it on top of the potatoes and stir it in, so that it colours all the potatoes and onions. Turn heat down and cook until all water is evaporated. The potatoes should have a slightly mashed look. This only takes a few minutes. (For authentic, south Indian tasting filling, turmeric is added to uncooked potatoes this way, not to the hot oil, as generally done in north Indian cooking.

11. Add coriander leaves and mix.

12. Serve alongside a Dosa or use as a filling to make Masala Dosa.