JOIN USFull of starchy goodness, potatoes are the ubiquitous ingredient of Indian cuisine. Advaita Shyam Sunder analyses our infinite love for this ever-comforting vegetable.
It’s one of those vegetables we are besotted with right from our childhood. Babies are fed soft rice with a smashed version of this, and as they grow up, they find the veggie in every other delicacy at home and outside, too.
Yes, we are talking about the starchy potatoes. If you have an innate fondness for them, we can’t blame you! One of the major reasons for its popularity is the fact that it’s multi-utilitarian – add it to the curry, mix it with rice, deep fry them, use them as sumptuous fillings...the possibilities are endless!
Have you ever wondered why people are sometimes referred to as ‘couch potatoes’ and not ‘couch brinjals’? There’s something about potatoes that’s innately comforting. When you feel down and out, don’t you crave for some potato chips? Perhaps, a spicy chaat packed with some aloo? They are, simply put, the best way to stimulate your palate – and spirits.
The common misconception is that potatoes aren’t healthy. But the fact remains that they are healthy by themselves; what makes them unhealthy is the butter, the oil and all that frying. In fact, baked potatoes are known to be low-calorie, high-fibre food, rich in vitamin B6 and a good source of potassium, copper, Vitamin C, manganese and phosphorous.
The 2014 FAOSTAT DATA says India is the second largest producer of potatoes in the world after China. Potatoes are one of the most affordable vegetables. Despite the rising prices, they manage to find a place in every Indian kitchen, with love and respect! Potatoes are with us through thick and thin, in every form imaginable – boiled, fried or blanched. Also, it has an all-mood-compatible feature, that is, no matter what one’s mood is – sad, happy, bored – they make for perfect companions.
“Potatoes are comfort food. They merge with almost all kind of vegetarian and
non-vegetarian dishes. Most of us improvise with aloos when we are too tired to cook or hard-pressed for time,” says Raggi Chakraborty, an event manager. In fact, for many desis, no meal is complete or satiating without potatoes. If you want a tingle of excitement for your taste buds, then potatoes are a must.
The chaat theory
When you look at streetside snacks, potato ascends the throne. Be it vada pav or aloo chaat, it’s an integral part of every lip-smacking dish. Crouching over massive iron skillets, lining narrow Indian streets of North India, aloo tikki wallahs have mastered the art of creating hundreds of tikkis by the hour and delicately balancing them in high piles, ready to be scooped up and served with dollops of tangy, sweet and spicy chutneys. In our country, potato is, undoubtedly, the crowd pleaser and appetiser.
In Bengali cuisine, potatoes are ubiquitous as they not only act as fillers in meals like fish rice, but also find a pride of place in classic dishes like aloo sheddo bhaat (boiled potato with rice) and aloo kabuli chaat (spicy potato and chickpea mixture). Ask any busy professional in West Bengal, and s/he will tell you that potato is an everyday staple. Just like the connoisseurs of masala dosa (with its spicy potato filling) in South India.
Popular potatoes
-Batata vada hails from the streets of Maharashtra and is a favourite snack of many. Mashed masaledar potatoes coated with thick besan batter and deep fried till golden, and served with tangy chutney, these vadas are both, filling and tasty.
-For the modern taste buds, au gratin potato is the perfect dish. Satisfy your rumbling appetite with baked layers of thinly-sliced potatoes seasoned in cheese and garlic cream.
-Aloo paratha is one of the most popular breakfast dishes in North India. Originally from Punjab, parathas are Indian breads stuffed with spicy potato mixture, usually served with raita, mint chutney or curd.