Gayathri Pai's Food Bytes: Batateche (Potato) Toya.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Batateche (Potato) Toya.

Batateche (Potato) Toya ..... Yumz ..... Goes well with hot Rice and some Vodi / Papads / Pickle / Loshne (Garlic) Chutney / Curry Leaves chutney etc. .............

This one is a lovely dish with the texture of Dalitoy and can be served in place of Dalitoy / Saar / Varan etc. Goes well with rice and some side dishes or simple Vodi or papad and pickle. A light on stomach food but with the satisfaction of royal food. There is a minute difference on this dish from that of Batate (Potato) Pejja Upkari or Gojju. All are on similar lines without difference in added spices and ingredients, but the texture is different of all three. Well that’s the way I prepare it. There are so many variations on this dish with slight changes and variations. Gojju is very thick like bajji etc. with potato being mashed coarsely and then seasoned, you may add in curds which is another variation to it, while Batate (Potato) Peja upkari is a semi thick curry again with the same ingredients. Batate (Potato) Toya is churned well like dal resulting in even texture, thinner than the other two while the seasoning usually remains the same. I have already posted the other two and will provide the link below for the same at the end of this recipe. Do check in the recipe by following the link.

Peel of the skin of 2 large sized potatoes and chop them to small sized pieces. Wash and rinse well under running water. Drain and add it into the pressure cooker pan along with 2 – 3 cups of water. Cover with the lid and pressure cook the same to 3-4 whistles. Allow the pressure to drop on its own. Once you are able to remove the lid, put the cooked contents into thick stainless steel vessel and churn it to a smooth paste. Add in another cup of water and mix well. You should get the consistency of the dal. If required add in more water. Do not make it too thin as then it will loose out on taste.

Add in 5-6 green chillies slit lengthwise to the cooked potatoes along with salt to taste and 1 tablespoon of prepared hing water and mix well. If you do not have prepared hing water leave out the step, you can add hing powder to the seasoning later on. Put the vessel on medium heat and bring to a boil. Keep stirring often. Once it come to boil simmer it for 5 minutes and check the consistency, if required you may add in more water. Addition of water is strictly as per individual liking. Remove and keep the cooked Batate (Potato) Toya aside.

For Tempering: Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a small tempering kadai. You may use any other edible oil of your choice, however coconut oil tastes the best for this one. When hot add in a tsp of urad dal, when slightly brown add in ¼ tsp of methi / fenugreek seeds followed by ½ tsp Jeera and 1 tsp of Mustard Seeds. When the mustard seeds starts to splutter add in 8-10 fresh curry leaves and fry a bit. If You have not added in prepared hing water, add in 1 tsp of hing / asafoetida powder now and fry and then add this to the Batate (Potato) Toya and immediately cover the vessel and keep aside for 10-15 minutes before serving for the flavours to seep in.

Batate (Potato) Toya is ready to be served. You may serve this with hot rice and some side dishes as accompaniment. If you want to have a light lunch / dinner prepare this and serve it with rice and Vodi or papads with a dash of pickle. The dish though simple tastes awesome and gives you a great satisfaction specially during monsoon when its raining heavily then this served during dinner will definitely satisfy that grumbling stomach and give you a good sleep throughout the night. Try it and you are sure to be happy with this simple dish.

** Note : For Preparing Hing Water : Hing water is prepared by putting a small marble sized gummy hing (available in South Indian Stores) into a glass bottle and adding about a small cup of boiled and cooled water to it. Within a few hours the hing will slowly melt and you will get a thick whitish liquid. This is hing water. You can keep this in the fridge and use sparingly as and when needed. We GSB / Sarawath Konkani people usually prepare the same and keep it in the fridge always and use the same for dal, patrado or any other hummana etc.