Gujarati Potato Curry (Batata nu Shaak)

While a common worldwide source of food today, potatoes came from the New World, more specifically from South America. The Spanish took them to Europe, where it took time for the potato to catch on and spread around the world, including to India (helped a lot by the Portuguese), when it still included what are now modern Pakistan and Bangladesh. This is a potato dish from Gujarat, one of India's western states. You can adjust the heat level: if you like spicy hot food, try this version before you increase the heat level, as it has plenty of heat, but if you like "some" heat, but not a lot, just use 1 dried chili and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you don't really like heat, just use 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, which should just provide a bare "kick" to the dish. The people of the Indian Subcontinent tend to eat their food with a pretty high level of heat. They then balance that heat, often times, with yogurt dishes to cool down their palates. Even though potatoes are starchy, rice is often served with this curry.

Asafoetida is a powdered spice pretty common to the cooking of the Indian Subcontinent and other parts of southern Asia. It is "typically" available in a jar with an opening in the lid to dispense the spice, and there is an airtight lid that closes off the opening to contain the smell. It is also called "hing." Asafoetida is known for its bad smell, but its mellow taste when cooked. When I was a kid, some people still used what were called "asafidity bags" to protect their children from various illnesses, mainly colds and influenza. The bag was worn on a string around the neck, and it contained various foul smelling ingredients, including garlic and asafoetida, which was available from drugstores in those times. It was all superstition from the Middle Ages, and my family didn't believe in it. My people believed an eye of a newt and the toe of a frog would cure you; otherwise, your days were numbered. Ah, or was that your days were numbered because of the eye of a newt and the toe of a frog? Hm...

Tamarind (see Word History, below) is a reddish brown spice from the fruit of the tree of that name. It is another common spice on the Indian subcontinent and in southern Asia and Africa. It is usually tart in taste.     

Ingredients:

2 cups diced, peeled potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 dried red chilies (or you can use fresh chilies, chopped)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
good pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup (or more) water
2 teaspoon tamarind paste
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, aka coriander

Heat oil over medium heat, then add the mustard seeds. After about 30 seconds, add the dried chilies, cook a few  seconds, then add the asafoetida and turmeric, stir, and then add the cubed potatoes immediately, stir well to coat. Add the coriander, cayenne, cumin, salt, stir to mix well throughout the potatoes. Add the water, stir again. Cover and cook, removing the cover to stir to prevent sticking, and to add a little more water, if necessary. Cook until potatoes are tender. Stir in tamarind paste and brown sugar. Add the chopped cilantro. Serve with rice. 

WORD HISTORY: 
Tamarind-This is a compound word for a type of tree and its fruit used in some medicines and to flavor food and sauces. It goes back to some Semitic word which produced Arabic "tamr," meaning "date;" that is, "fruit of the date palm." The ultimate origin of the second part is unknown, but it goes back to transliterated Sanskrit "sindhu," which meant, "river, flowing water," which was picked up by Persian as transliterated "hind," which produced transliterated "Hindus" for the name of the Indus River. Greek borrowed the river name as "Indos," and called the region of the river, "India," which was borrowed by Latin. English borrowed the word (circa 1200???) as "Indea," later changed to "India." The compound form was translated by Latin in the Middle East from transliterated Arabic "tamr hindi" as "tamarindus," which was passed on to Latin-based French as "tamarinde," which was borrowed by English in the early 13th Century. The word literally means, "date of India."

Indian Potato Salad (Batata Nu Raita)

This is a "raita" from the Indian "Gujarat" region, in western India. A "raita" on the Indian subcontinent is a salad or side dish of yogurt with other ingredients mixed in. I did a cucumber raita article awhile ago: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/03/raita-to-cool-heat-of-spicy-indian.html

We Americans use the terms "yogurt," for the bacteria thickened dairy product, and "cilantro," for the herb; that is, the leaves of the coriander plant, similar in looks to parsley (they are related). British English often uses "curd" and "green coriander," or sometimes just "coriander" for these terms, respectively. Americans use "coriander" for the spice from the plant; that is, the seeds and the ground seeds. British usage naturally became part of the Indian English of the Indian subcontinent. One time, decades ago, a German friend of mine, Manfred, managed a small hotel in downtown Frankfurt, near the train station. An Indian man was staying at the hotel and he asked Manfred, who was pretty good with English, if the hotel had "curd." Well, Frankfurt was in the American Zone, and there were Americans everywhere, including thousands of American troops back then (the Cold War era). Manfred knew American English. Hahahaha! Hey, why am I laughing? When he asked me what "curd" meant, I didn't know what the hell it meant either! I thought it meant cottage cheese! Manfred had to get out his dictionary. I've never forgotten that. By the way, German uses "Joghurt" for the word, pronounced very similarly to English (but kind of like 'yo-gore-t'), as the "J" is pronounced like English "y" (all German nouns are capitalized; thus, "J").

Ingredients:

2 or 3 potatoes, about 12 ounces, total (see instructions, below)
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or 2/3 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (like cayenne)
1 1/4 cup plain thick yogurt
1 heaping tablespoon chopped cilantro (green coriander)

Add the yogurt to a serving bowl and let it warm toward room temperature while you prepare the potatoes. Wash the potatoes, then poke them a couple of times with a knife. Microwave the potatoes in their skins until they are cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes (or they can be microwaved well in advance), then peel them and cut them into bite sized pieces. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds or ground cumin first, and then add the potatoes, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, mix briefly. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring and turning the potatoes, then empty the potato mixture, oil and all, into the yogurt. Gently mix the potatoes into the yogurt to coat them. Sprinkle the cilantro on top.

WORD HISTORY:
Draft/Draught-"Draft" is simply a spelling variation of "draught." This word, closely related to "draw" and "drag," goes back to Indo European "dhragh," which had the notion of "to pull." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "dragan(an)," with the same meaning. This produced the Old Germanic spin off "drahtis/drahtiz," which meant "carrying, bearing, pulling." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "draeht," with the "pulling" meaning. This later became "draught" (the "gh" was pronounced back then) and the word took on a variety of meanings over time related in some way to the notion of "pulling": "pulling" (especially for animals; thus "draught animals"), designing by drawing (that is; "dragging a writing instrument across paper or other surface"), air being "drawn" in through an opening (as in, "Close the door, there's a draught/draft in here."), beer "drawn" from a keg, money "drawn" from an account, people "drawn" in to perform a task (including in American English "military conscription"). The spelling "draft" began to increase as the pronunciation of the word changed with the "gh" gradually taking on an "f" sound. Its closest other Germanic relatives include German "Tracht" (wearing apparel, uniform, now commonly 'traditional old-style regional costume;' that is, clothing is something we "bear," "carry" on us), Low German "Dracht" (same meaning as standard German), Dutch "dracht" (apparel, wear (the noun, as in, "winter wear"), pregnancy ["bearing/carrying" a child, West Frisian has the related "drachtich" and German has "trächtig"], and also the same meaning as German; that is, "traditional costume," Danish "dragt" (costume, apparel), Swedish "dräkt" (apparel, costume), Norwegian "drakt" (costume, but word not commonly used?). I could not find a form in Icelandic and "apparently" West Frisian still only uses the "drachtich" form for "pregnant."

Gujarati Carrot Salad

This is a quick and easy salad/side dish. It is almost always served warm, but it can be chilled before serving. Gujarat is one of the states of India and it is located in western India. The state capital city is Gandhinagar, although its best known city is Ahmedabad.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and grated (medium grate)
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds * (you can use the more easily available yellow mustard seeds, but try to get the black type)
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño chili peppers
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel (aka, "rind," see Word History)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric **
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they begin to pop (a few seconds). Reduce heat to low and add the carrot and chili pepper, then add the turmeric, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes, as the carrot and chili pepper should still have some "crunch" to them.

* Black mustard seeds are available in some supermarkets and Asian food shops.

** Turmeric is readily available in the spice section of supermarkets. Turmeric has been touted for its heath benefits, especially its anti-inflammatory benefits, but research continues as to the total validity of turmeric's overall benefit. Many nutritionists note to use turmeric with black pepper to help its absorption rate. Remember too, moderation on herbs and spices, as just because a small amount may be good for you, that doesn't mean a lot is necessarily better, unless of course, you're talking about chocolate cream pie. Damn, I hope nutritionists don't see this!

WORD HISTORY: 
Rind-The origins of this word are unknown, and it could be a West Germanic invention. It goes back to West Germanic "rindo," which meant, "crust, outer surface." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "rinde," likely pronounced "rind (short 'i')-eh," meaning, "bark of a tree, crust;" thus also, "tough skin of fruit," later also used for "tough outer skin of bacon," and "the hardened surface of some cheeses." The spelling with the ending "e," which was pronounced "eh," lasted for centuries, but gradually "rind" took over. German has "Rinde" (tree bark, outer layer of cheese, outer part of the brain or kidney), Low German Saxon has "Rinn" (tree bark), Dutch has "run" (tree bark).