Vegetable Paya Recipe – Side dish For Appam, Idiyappam

• Potato – 2 nos
• Big onion – 1 no
• Tomato – 2 nos.
• Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Cinnamon – 1 inch
• Cloves – 2 no
• G&G paste – 1 tsp
• Cardamom – 1 no
• Bayleaf – 1 no
• Black stone flower – 1 no
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp ( I used kashmiri chilli pwd)
• Garam masala powder or chicken masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt & water – as needed

To saute & grind : Paste 1

• Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
• Medium sized Big onion – 1 no or small onion – 6 nos
• Coriander seeds / Dhania – 1.5 tsp
• Green chillies – 2-3 nos ( use 4 for more spicy taste)

For paste-2

• Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
• Pottukadalai/Fried gram – 2 tsp
• Water – to grind

Mint + coriander leaves – to garnish

• Wash and peel the skin of potato. Cut into strips of 2 inches and set aside. I chopped it lengthwise to resemble goat legs ; )) Chop onion, tomato and keep apart.
• In a kadai, heat oil and saute one chopped big onion, dhania seeds and green chillies. Switch off the flame and let it cool. Grind it along with coconut + Fried gram dal as I did. OR As per the original recipe,  you should grind Dhania+green chilli+ onion to a smooth paste (Paste 1). Grind coconut + fried gram dal to a smooth paste separately ( Paste 2). But I ground everything together.

• In a cooker base, heat oil and saute cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf, black stone flower, cardamom and fennel seeds. Add the chopped onions, g&g paste ( If you grind dhania+ chillies+onion paste separately, add it at this stage. Saute until its raw smell goes off.) Now add tomato, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and saute until mushy. To this, add the sliced potato strips. Mix well for sometime. (Add coconut paste.i.e paste 2 if you have ground it seperately)

• Now add the ground coconut paste and saute for a minute. Add 1.5 cups of water and garam masala powder. Mix well and pressure cook for one whistle in low flame or till the potato cooks soft but retain its shape.

• Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mix well and check for taste and consistency. Add more salt, water and chilli powder if needed. Give a boil and finally garnish with mint+coriander leaves. This gravy thickens over time. So add more water accordingly.

Enjoy !