Chettinad Style Potato Curry | Urulai Idicha Masala

I have chosen this simple curry from the famous Cheetinad Cuisine from Tamil Nadu for the final day of Blogging Marathon #56, Week 2 with the theme - Indian States.

This is from a cookery show that I saw a while back on TV and it sounded so easy and flavorful that I was sure it would taste great. I paired it up with Tamarind rice for lunch.

I used:

Baby potato, boiled and peeled- 250 grams
Onion-2 , finely chopped
Garlic-2 pods, grated
Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- a large pinch
Curry leaves- a few
Salt to taste
Oil- 1 tablespoon

Roast and grind[See notes below]

Red chilies- 2 [adjust to taste]
Coriander seeds- 2 tablespoons
Chana dal- 2 teaspoons
Peppercorns-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds- 1/2 teaspoon

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin.when the mustard pops, add garlic and onion and saute till the onion is light brown.Add the potato.

Put in turmeric powder, a couple of spoons of the roasted and ground spice mix,curry leaves and salt. Simmer and mix well. Sprinkle a little water if the curry is too dry. Cover and let the flavors blend. Stir a couple of time in between.Remove from heat

Serve with steamed / flavored rice...

Note:

The spice mix should be a coarse powder and tastes best if ground in a motor and pestle.I powdered in a blender though.
Add the spice mix to suit your taste. Store the excess mix in an air tight jar and use later.