MY FRIEND AND YOURS, THE POTATO

POTATOES


It's the kitchen staple worth befriending, beloved the world over and such an interesting fella.

With the highest production and consumption rate in the world, potatoes are undoubtedly the world's go-to and a staple food in every kitchen.  So maybe it's time you get comfortable and become a little more than friends.

Potatoes have gotten a bad rap from the health and fitness communities. Choose sweet potatoes or other root vegetables, they say. It's healthier, they say.  Well let me tell you,  adding carrots or sweet potatoes to my mutton curry is a surefire way to start a fight in my house.

And the bewildered potato is like whaaat? I'm not unhealthy, guys. Here's my profile pic, don't I look good?


But studies show that it is how we prepare the potato that actually determines whether it's healthy or not.  I mean try deep-frying carrot sticks or broccoli heads in oil and then top them off with loads of sugary sauces and heaps of salt- that's gonna make anything unhealthy. The way we generally eat potatoes needs to be adjusted a bit like so:









Brief history of the potato is that it is thought to have been first cultivated in Chile and Peru in 8000 BC.  Spanish invaders..I mean explorers in 1570 brought the plant back to Europe. Ireland 1845, a bacteria infects the Irish potato crop and continues to decimate the crops over the next 7 years killing 1 million people- known as the Blight or Great Hunger in Ireland.  Fast forward to 1995 where the potato becomes the first vegetable grown in space. In 2008 the UN celebrates the International Year of the Potato.  And in 2010, the world potato harvest clocks a whopping 324 181 889 tonnes.

So how did it get here to Africa?  Those good ol' explorers and colonists that's how.

And in Africa or rather Durban, South Africa a good portion of the population eats the potato in a curry. Here is a recipe for Durban Yellow Potato curry.

DURBAN YELLOW POTATO CURRY

600 gram/4 medium potatoes potatoes, cubed
1 onion, sliced
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin (jeera seeds)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 sprig curry leaf
3 green chillies, halved
1 tomato, cubed
1 clove garlic
water as needed
1-1/4 teaspoons salt

Heat oil in a pot with a lid. Add onion, cumin seeds and chillies to fry.
When onion is soft, add tomato,garlic and tumeric with 1 tablespoon of water .
Place lid on pot and cook tomato for 1-2 min. Smash the softened tomato and garlic into the onion mix to form a chunky paste.
Add cubed potatoes, salt and curry leaves. Stir to coat potatoes with the tomato-onion paste
Saute the potatoes for a minute. Add half cup of water and simmer on a low temperature until potatoes are tender.
Serve with rice, roti or bread.  Accompaniments include dhall, pickles, atchar, pickled beetroot (my little one's favourite) etc

Don't fancy a curry today?  Here are different ways to eat your spuds today.

Until next time.









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