EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY
THEME: CHETTINAD CUISINE
RECIPE: CHETTINAD URULAI ROAST | POTATO ROAST
Chettinad Urulai Roast | Potato Roast is simply baby potatoes roasted in a pan with freshly ground Chettinad Masala or Spice Mixture. It easily can be enjoyed as a starter dish, a snack or as a side dish which is usually served with rice or roti and a lentil curry. Hubby and I decided to enjoy it as a starter.
Actually, it was more like a meal for us. Just recovering from Covid, Furthermore, I didn’t have the energy to cook meals that took too long. Made the masala and boiled the potatoes the previous day. Put away the potatoes in the fridge as I got tired and went to sleep. Next day roasting them in the pan was easy. Though our throats were hurting, we both felt like something chatpata and a bit spicy after all the balnd soups and khichdis. We enjoyed Chettinad Urulai Roast and then had a bowlful of yogurt to cool the tummy a bit.
A Bit About The Group:
In brief, every month a new theme is chosen by members. Then, the participants are paired up. In turn, they give each other 2 secret ingredients to use in their recipe which is prepared fitting the theme.
As soon as their dish is ready, the photo is shared on our Facebook group. Then, other participants try and guess the secret ingredients. Towards the end of the month the recipe is shared on the group. Additionally, members get to know each other and interact with them.
This Month’s Theme
When Kalyani who blogs at Sizzling Tastebuds suggested Chettinad Cuisine, I nearly didn’t participate as I thought I would not get time to prepare a dish. Since June 21st till July 10th was in Calgary as hubby’s niece was getting married. I did a lot of cooking for the guests but didn’t get time to take photos of all what I cooked. Oh well, weddings do have a tendency to get super busy.
Anyway, I had requested my Co- Admin Renu to add my name as I knew I would have time after we got back. I didn’t want to miss preparing something for this exciting cuisine. Unfortunately, lost nearly a week due to Covid. With just hubby and myself and not much options of vegetarian take away, had no option but to get out of bed and cook simple meals for us.
Coming back to Kalyani, I can’t wait to try out her Chettinad Vellai Kurma recipe. This is a mixed vegetable cooked in coconut Chettinad Style.
My Partners This Month
My first partner this month is Kalyani. She suggested that I use the secret ingredients asafoetida and fennel seeds. In return I asked to use rice flour and fennel seeds. I used asafoetida for tempering and fennel seeds in the spice mixture. Using the ingredients I suggested, Kalyani has prepared a delicious vegan curry – Chettinad Kaigari Mandi.
My Second Partner
My second partner is Renu who blogs at Cook With Renu. As I already had my secret ingredients and she didn’t have a partner, I suggested she use oil and garlic. Using those ingredients she has prepared a lipsmacking, mouthwatering Vara Milagai Chutney using red chillis and tomato.
What Is Chettinad Cuisine?
Chettinad Cuisine is from the Chettinad region of the South Indian State Tamil Nadu. What sets this cuisine apart from the rest of Tamil Nadu or other surrounding regions is the generous use of a variety of freshly ground spice mixtures. More aromatic spice mixtures also use the spices Black Stone Flower (kalpasi/dagad phool) and Kapok Buds (dried flower buds of kapok tree).
Rich And Spicy
The curry base or gravy is rich with the use of fresh spices like ginger, garlic and onions along with fresh coconut and tomatoes. The spice mixtures add the aroma and flavours. Chettinad food tends to be more on the hot side, chilli wise. No wonder buttermilk is usually served with the meal.
Both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes are widely prepared in this cuisine. Those living around the coast tend to use crabs, prawns and fish more often. Those living in the interior use chicken, fowl, and other meats but not beef and pork.
Dry Region
The cuisine of Chettinad is greatly influenced by the nature of the region, which is a dry, arid and hot region. As a result they use a lot of dried meat, seafood and vegetables in their cuisine.
Community
The Chettairs mainly were owners of businesses or were bankers and moneylenders. During the 19th Century, they hosted their British guests often and were greatly influenced by their food culture. From meats, seafood and dried vegetables, Chettinad Cuisine has many different dishes to offer to all. Usually the curries are served with rice or rice based preparations like Appams, Idlis, Idiyappams, Adais and Dosais. The Chettinad Cuisine is a total contrast to the Tamil Brahmin Cuisine which tends to be much simpler, less spicier and no meat or fish is used.
Chettinad Urulai Roast | Potato Roast
There are so many vegetarian dishes I would like to try from this cuisine. I also want to try out their version of egg curry but that will have to wait as I was not able to get fresh coconut, black stone flower and kapok bud spices. I settled for potato roast as the spices required for that dish is easily available in my pantry. Also on the list to try is Garlic Rasam. And I don’t regret at all as this dish has become one of our favourites. In fact, I have prepared it thrice within a month!
Some South Indian Dishes That May Interest You
Ingredients Required For Chettinad Urulai Roast | Potato Roast
- Baby Potatoes – boiled in salted water and peeled. If the potatoes are big, cut them into halves. Alternately, boil and peel big potatoes. Cut them into big chunks.
- Water – enough water to boil the potatoes.
- Oil and Ghee – for tempering and roasting the potatoes. Use a combination of both as ghee adds a delicious flavour. Omit if you want a vegan preparation.
- Mustard Seeds – rai. For tempering.
- Urad Dal – Split black grams, the white one without the skin.
- Dry Chilli – 1 or 2 for tempering.
- Curry Leaves – for tempering.
- Turmeric Powder – haldi, hardar.
- Asafoetida – hing. For gluten free version omit it or buy hing which has no wheat flour mixed in it.
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – this chilli powder is not hot. So you can use any red chilli powder that is not too hot.
- Salt – to add to the water for boiling the potatoes and for the main preparation. Add according to your taste. Also remember that the potatoes are boiled in salted water.
- Fresh Coriander – chopped
Ingredients For The Spice Mixture
- Cinnamon Stick – taj. You need a 2 inch stick.
- Cloves – laving, lavang
- Peppercorns – black. Mari, sabut kali mirch.
- Fennel Seeds – valiyari, saunf
- Sesame Seeds – tal, simsim.
- Cumin Seeds – jeera, jiru.
- Coriander Seeds – dhana. Sabut dhana.
- Dry Red Chillis – any that are hot. Like Byadagi Chilli, Gundu, Guntur or Jwala are just a few examples.
- Chana Dal – split chickpeas, roasted.
- Urad Dal – split black gram.
- Coconut – grated. Use either fresh, frozen or dried.
Watch How To Prepare Chettinad Urulai Roast | Potato Roast
CHETTINAD URULAI ROAST | POTATO ROAST
Ingredients
FOR THE SPICE MIXTURE
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 3-4 whole dry red chillis
- 2 tbsp coconut grated
FOR THE CHETTINAD URULAI ROAST | POTATO ROAST
- 500 g baby potatoes
- 2-3 cups water
- 2 tsp salt divided
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1-2 whole dry red chillis
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ tsp urad dal
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- ½ -1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2-3 tbsp Chettinad Spice Mixture
- 1-2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
Instructions
PREPARATION OF CHETTINAD SPICE MIXTURE
- Put a wide pan over low heat. Allow it to become a bit hot.
- Add chana dal and dry roast for 1 minute or till it begins to appear light pink.
- Add the urad dal. Roast for a minute or till you get the aroma of urad dal.
- Add cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns. Roast for 30 - 40 seconds.
- Add the rest of the spices - fennel, coriander, cumin, sesame seeds and red chillis.
- Roast the spices, mixing all the time for 1 minute or till you get the aroma of the spices and a bit of the smoke comes out from the pan.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the coconut and roast till it becomes light brown in colour.
- Remove all the spice mixture into a plate and allow it to cool completely.
- Don't leave the spices in the pan as the pan is hot and it will burn the spices.
- Grind the spices in a spice grinder into a powder that is not too fine or too coarse.
PREPARATION OF CHETTINAD URULAI ROAST | POTATO ROAST
- Heat ghee and oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to sizzle, add the urad dal.
- Stir fry till the urad dal becomes light pink.
- Add dry red chillis, curry leaves.
- Add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
- Add the boiled and peeled potatoes and mix well.
- Add salt. Allow the potatoes to heat up and roast them for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the potatoes appear roasted, add the Kashmiri red chilli powder and the Chettinad Spice Mixture.
- Mix the potatoes well till they are coated with the spice mixture. Make sure the heat is medium to low as you don't want the spices to burn.
- Add chopped coriander, mix and serve immediately.
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