Spring Harvest : New Potatoes for Potato Upma
Red potatoes I planted last winter are taking up quite a bit of precious space with their healthy blooms this spring. I read that flowering means potatoes can be harvested. I like the potatoes when they are in baby, immature stage, when the skin is still very delicate and they have not had as much time to convert their sugar into starch. I didn’t want the potatoes to fully develop into big mature ones with thick skin. So, to recover some planting space and to harvest some tender potatoes, yesterday I removed the potato plants and dug up the new potatoes. It was like an easy treasure hunt to unearth these baby ruby beauties. I got about 16 potatoes, from two plants. Not bad, considering that I didn’t do anything extra, like adding fertilizer, except watering the plants occasionally.
16 potatoes and 3 recipes – one recipe each for three days. That is the menu this week. First recipe on the list, a classic from childhood and my husband Vijay’s favorite, Potato Upma. Potatoes are cut, sautéed with other vegetables and then steamed with roasted rava in potato upma. For Vijay, upma is not upma unless it has some potatoes and tomatoes in it.
Spring Harvest: New (Immature), Red PotatoesPotato Upma
(for two or four, for two to one meal)Ingredients:
1 tablespoon, peanut oil
From Masala dabba: 1/4 teaspoon each, urad dal, cumin and mustard seeds
1 sprig, fresh curry leaves,
1 onion, finely chopped, about a cup
4 green chillies (Indian or Thai variety), finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped, about half cup
2 potatoes, finely cubed, about a cup
Roasted cashews or peanuts, about quarter cup
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 and 1/2 cups, Roasted Upma Rava (available at Indian grocery)
3 cups waterMethod:
In a large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium heat. Add urad dal, cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Toast the ingredients to fragrance. Add the onion and chillies, stir-fry until the onion softens, about five minutes. Add tomatoes and potatoes. Cook, stirring often for another five minutes. Add water to the skillet. Stir in salt. Raise the heat to medium-high and cover the skillet. When water starts to boil and lifts up the lid, remove the cover and reduce the heat to low. Add roasted rava, stirring constantly with a sturdy ladle so that the rava mixes well with water without any lumps. Sprinkle cashews or peanuts and steamcook, stirring frequently until there is no liquid left on the surface and the rava looks like creamy pudding.Serve Potato Upma warm with chutney, pickle, podi or sambar.
Potato Upma with Pappula Podi and Carrots ~ for Meal Today
Indira-I bought some red potatoes two days ago and you have grown in your kitchen garden WOW! look at those cute ones ..I know they make you very happy , even I am excited to see them:)They have come out so healthy…Love your simple home cooking recipes..
hugs and smiles
Can I come over and have some Upma!!!! Its so yummy!!!
Like the potato pics.. Upma with fresh potoatos sounds yum.
Wow Indira! Those baby potatoes are so lovely. I’m so happy to see this home grown veges. Nothing can beat to home garden. 🙂
Delicious upma. Thank you for the recipe. The home-grown potatoes will make this dish more tasty.
home grown potatoes…yummm..sure enhances the taste of upma..
Wow …home grown potatoes! question – did they taste different from store bought ones?
comfort meal,..thnaks for sharin
I have never tasted upma made with potatoes. This is certainly a reason for me to dig the young ones that are now in the way of what will me a summer vegetable bed. The recipe certainly sounds yummy.
Just this week I ordered 4 pounds of seed potatoes for next season. You can keep these delicious potato recipes coming!
Indira the way you present your recipes is beautiful !!! Upma looks great 🙂
Indira, sounds really nice. I always get my measurements of water wrong and it turns all lumpy. I will follow your receipe and hope it turns out OK.
The upma looks good. A question…does the roasted upma found in the Indian stores taste as good as roasting it at home ourselves?
Thanks,
Sara
Amazing!! I really admire your spirit and enthusiasm. I live in Sugar Land and I am keen gardener. Hope to meet you some day…
Your harvest looks great. My husband likes upma, I am going to give this a try.