“Kananga (Kanga) Podi / Sweet Potato Fries” … Delicious fries that can be served as snack or during lunch / dinner time as an accompaniment along with other dishes too … These are crisp from outside and soft within and taste simply awesome …. Yumz .....
** Sweet Potatoes / Kananga / Ratalu is a tuber vegetable that is very famous throughout the world and needs no introduction. It is much more healthier than normal potatoes and has immense health benefits. It is loaded with fiber and is good for stomach. So many dishes are prepared using this tuber and all of them turn delicious. Parathas, Poori, fries, upkari, bajo, podi, curries, koftas, the list is a very long one that this tuber is used in preparing. I myself have included many of them in my blog. Coming to these fries / podi you can prepare these both tava fried or deep fried. You can also prepare bajo which I have already posted before. To those of you who are wondering the difference between Bajo and Podi, they are two different dishes altogether though both come under the label of snacks.
** Bajo or Bajia is a deep fried snack where the tuber / vegetable ie in this dish Kananga or Sweet Potato is dipped in spicy besan (chick peas flour) batter and then deep fried on high heat. While podi is either tava fried or deep fried snack. Here the pieces are marinated in masalas and allowed to rest for some minutes and then dusted with rice flour or fine rava and then tava fried by adding some oil or the same can be deep fried too. I follow both methods depending upon my quantity need. When I have guests or I have oil that has been taken for deep frying other dishes, I deep fry them, while if it is just for the two of us I tava fry. When you need to fry in bulk for more people, it is easier and faster to deep fry than tava fry which does take some time.
** There is a minute difference in taste, well there always is, as they are fried differently. Any dish that is tava fried or deep fried does have difference. The deep fried one’s are always much tastier than the tava fried one’s. Having said one has to adapted to certain changes with age and for healthier lifestyle. Deep fried snacks are not so good for health as they contain loads of calories that is difficult to balance on daily basis. Once in a way they are certainly good to have. Tava fried one hardly contain any oil as you can drizzle some oil and then sprinkle some water and cook the same and it does come out well too. Once you learn to relish them, then there is no looking back. I enjoy both depending upon as I said the quantity I require to prepare. You can choose any method.
** Here is the simple recipe for Kananga (Kanga) Podi / Sweet Potato Fries … … These podi’s are usually served during lunch or dinner as an accompaniment with other dishes during festive season or on holy days while bajos / bajias prepared out of the same are served as snack.
** Peel off the skin of Kananga / Sweet potato and cut them into large chunks of say about 3 inch sizes horizontally. Now slice them vertically into thick slices. Cutting in this method gives you slightly squarish pieces that we Konkani Saraswats usually prepare as. But if you want roundels you can just slice them into rings / rounds as per your liking. However do keep the thickness slightly thicker and do not make them into thin slices. Keep a bowl of water handy and drop them in water as you go through slicing and cutting them, as they have a tendency of being discolored if let in open air. Slice and cut as many pieces as required. Put the cut pieces in a colander and rinse under running water and then shake off excess water as much as possible. In all I had about 12 pieces.
** Put the pieces into a large stainless steel wide bowl. Make a mixture of 1 tblsp of less spicy red chilly powder, ¼ tsp of hing powder, salt to taste and mix well. You can add in a few drops of vinegar if you wish. I do add on at times, however today I have not added the same. Add in the mixture into the bowl of sweet potato pieces and apply to the pieces, by mixing well with light movements with hand. See to it that the spices have coated the pieces well. Keep this covered aside for an hour or so. If you need to prepare this later on than the stipulated time, put it in the fridge and then prepare the same.
** Keep a thick bottomed kadai with plenty of oil to heat for frying of the sweet potatoes. Now Add 1-2 tblsp of rice flour in a flat plate and spread it out. Roll the Kananga / sweet potato pieces on the flour to dust it evenly on all sides and keep them ready for deep frying. When oil has reached smoking point, lower the heat and wait for a few minutes and then add in a few dusted sweet potato pieces into it. Be careful with the hot oil and also do not add too many pieces at a time.
** With a slotted spatula, slowly turn and mix out the cooking pieces in the hot oil. Once it is evenly browned, remove with the help of a ringed spatula, and place it on a absorbent paper for excess oil to get dripped off. Continue with the remaining pieces by dusting and then deep frying them in similar manner. Remember to not over crowd the kadai as there should be enough space for the bananas to get cooked in properly.
** “Kananga (Kanga) Podi / Sweet Potato Fries” are done and ready to be served. These podi’s are usually served during lunch or dinner as an accompaniment with other dishes during festive season or on holy days while bajos / bajias prepared out of the same are served as snack. But nowadays these are prepared often as children are very fond of them and love the fried podi’s very much. Do try them out on holidays and enjoy them with your lunch or dinner.
** You can use the search option for "Bajo or Podi" where you will get many more dishes prepared using it. Do try out various types of dishes to relish with dosa / Idly / roti etc. or with dal-chawal too. Enjoy the dishes with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible.
** You can use the search option for "Kananga or Sweet Potato" where you will get many more dishes prepared using it. Do try out various types of dishes to relish with dosa / Idly / roti etc. or with dal-chawal too. Enjoy the dishes with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible.
** You can check out on the link given below if you want to prepare bajo ie deep fried snack that is dipped in spiced besan batter and then deep fried … Here is the link Sweet Potato Bajo Recipe ….
** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of similar type in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. You can also go to my page (add on the left side of blog) and leave a message and I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible … Thank you. I have also started a food group for "Konkani Saraswats" by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" the link of which is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring".
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