Potato Ghee Roast Recipe / Mangalorean Potato Ghee Roast Recipe

Most of us have at some point or the other heard or seen in a restaurant menu the Bunt Tuluva Mangalorean delicacy Chicken Ghee Roast. I wanted to replicate this speciality dish by substituting the chicken with a vegetable. I however wanted to retain the fiery colour, the spicy aromas and the stellar taste of the original dish. So here I am with a vegetarian version Potato Ghee Roast. I have tried my best to retain the originality both visually and in terms of flavour. My friends and family were delighted after tasting my Potato Ghee Roast and I received a positive feedback from them. Now, I sincerely hope that my readers, too will give a thumbs up both after they have seen the pictures of my Potato Ghee Roast and tried out the recipe.

I tried with potato first, in my attempt to replicate the indigenous dish and I have found that the Potato Ghee Roast was visually the closest. I have however thereafter gone ahead and tried with Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Broccoli and Cottage Cheese Cubes (Paneer). Taste wise these other vegetarian versions were also quite delicious and almost similar, but Potato being neutral in taste and having no distinct aroma of its own was definitely the clear choice.

As I have mentioned in my previous post on Kundapur Masala Powder Recipe this dish was conceived or cooked for the first time in the kitchen of Shetty Lunch Home in Kundapur, Karnataka. Since Kundapur is a coastal town, whenever I have cooked the Ghee Roast I have the feeling of the sea breeze gently blowing through my kitchen. The happiness which I get when I see the emerald waves crashing on the silver sands I experience joy of similar magnitude when I hand pound the Spices before cooking Potato Ghee Roast.

The Potato Ghee Roast looks fiery with potato cubes dressed in a glossy scarlet hue, tempered with fragrant curry leaves, tossed in the freshly ground bevy of aromatic spices and roasted in ghee to give you a lip smacking dish worth every bite. The yogurt lends the right amount of acidity to the dish while the roasted ground coconut gives the required body to the dry gravy. This dish has a dry gravy just enough to coat the potato cubes. The aroma which emanates from the combination of ghee roasted spices and the fresh curry leaves make your salivary glands go on an overdrive, long before you spoon a cube of Potato Ghee Roast into your mouth.

Traditionally the Potato Ghee Roast is savoured with lacy, paper thin rice and coconut crepes known as Neer Dosa. I like to serve with flaky crisp Indian breads, Parathas. This is a dish which you just cannot afford to miss like many other dishes from this region which we will touch upon in my future Blog Posts. So without any further ado lets get down jotting down the ingredients required to make Potato Ghee Roast.

NOTE ~ Do keep the primary ingredient KUNDAPUR MASALA POWDER ready at hand before you start the preparations for this dish.

Potato Ghee Roast Recipe / Mangalorean Potato Ghee Roast Recipe ~

AUTHOR ~ PIYALI MUTHA

SERVES ~ 4~6

CUISINE ~ KARNATAKA / SOUTH INDIAN/ MANGALOREAN

TYPE ~ SIDE DISH / MAIN COURSE

TIME ~ 15 MINUTES PREPARATION + 15 MINUTES COOKING THAT IS IF YOU HAVE THE KUNDAPUR MASALA POWDER READY OR ELSE YOU WILL NEED ANOTHER 15 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS ~

500 Gms Potatoes skinned and cut into medium sized cubes

2 Tbsp Pure Ghee (Clarified Butter)

2~3 Sprigs Curry Leaves

1 Large Onion finely chopped

1/2 Tsp Ginger Paste

1 Tsp Garlic Paste

1 Tbsp Kundapur Masala Powder

2 Tbsp Yogurt diluted with 1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp Roasted Cononut Powder 

NOTE ~ The original Ghee Roast Recipes do not use coconut, but I use in the Potato Ghee Roast to give a little thickness to the gravy

Salt for seasoning and to taste

Let's Cook Potato Ghee Roast / Mangalorean Potato Ghee Roast In Easy Steps ~

1) Roast freshly grated coconut or grated frozen coconut in a frying pan.

** Roast on low flame till the coconut slightly changes colour.

** Transfer to a coffee grinder or mixer grinder.

** Whizz once or twice just to make it smoother.

2) Peel Potatoes, cut into medium cubes, wash and drain. Add salt to the potato cubes and give them a gentle toss.

** In a frying pan heat Ghee. Add the potatoes.

** Fry the potatoes in the clarified butter or ghee till they change colour. Drain out the potatoes onto a plate lined with a kitchen napkin.

3) In the same Ghee throw in the curry leaves as it is or roughly chopped. Fry them.

** Add chopped onions. Fry the onions till golden brown.

** Add Ginger Garlic paste and fry till fragrant.

** Next add Kundapur Masala Powder and fry for 15 seconds.

4) Now add back the potatoes. Season with salt properly.

** Toss the potato cubes in the ghee roasted spices and slowly roast the potato cubes for 2 minutes, coating each cube generously with the spices.

** Whisk yogurt and water together and slowing add to the frying pan. Toss the potato cubes now in the yogurt.

** Finally add the roasted coconut powder and again toss the potato cubes. 

** The yogurt will release some water. So simmer and roast the potato cubes a few more seconds.

** Keep going till the gravy is dry and only enough to coat the potato cubes.

Potato Ghee Roast is ready to serve.

Pictorial Stepwise Method How to Prepare Potato Ghee Roast ~

1) Roast freshly grated coconut or grated frozen coconut in a frying pan.

** Roast on low flame till the coconut slightly changes colour.

** Transfer to a coffee grinder or mixer grinder.

** Whizz once or twice just to make it smoother.

2) Peel Potatoes, cut into medium cubes, wash and drain. Add salt to the potato cubes and give them a gentle toss.

** In a frying pan heat Ghee. Add the potatoes.

** Fry the potatoes in the clarified butter or ghee till they change colour. Drain out the potatoes onto a plate lined with a kitchen napkin.

3) In the same Ghee throw in the curry leaves as it is or roughly chopped. Fry them.

** Add chopped onions. Fry the onions till golden brown.

** Add Ginger Garlic paste and fry till fragrant.

** Next add Kundapur Masala Powder and fry for 15 seconds.

4) Now add back the potatoes. Season with salt properly.

** Toss the potato cubes in the ghee roasted spices and slowly roast the potato cubes for 2 minutes, coating each cube generously with the spices.

** Whisk yogurt and water together and slowing add to the frying pan. Toss the potato cubes now in the yogurt.

** Finally add the roasted coconut powder and again toss the potato cubes. 

** The yogurt will release some water. So simmer and roast the potato cubes a few more seconds.

** Keep going till the gravy is dry and only enough to coat the potato cubes.

Potato Ghee Roast is ready to serve.

Reference ~ 

FOOD.NDTV.COM 

Would Love To Hear From You. Do Leave Your Valuable Feedback In The Comments Below. If You Have Tried This Recipe Please Let Me Know How It Turned Out. If You Have Any Queries Regarding This Or Any Other Recipe In My Blog, Please Feel Free To Leave A Comment Here Or Email Me At piyalimutha@gmail.com . For The Latest Updates Of My Blog And Loads Of Food Stories Stay Tuned To My Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Flipboard Accounts. Let The Food Adventure Continue In Your Kitchen...