Potato and Drumsticks in a Mustard Gravy (Oriya Style)

Laziness… that’s all is my excuse. It’s been a very long time since I posted. Initially, I had an excuse, I took a weeklong vacation to my parents’ house. Who blogs on vacation, right? *sheepish smile*. I relaxed whilst watching the monsoon and drinking endless cups of tea. Playing board games and watching TV. Then I had to answer 2 exams, I helped paint a school etc etc. But after that, only laziness. I have seen this quote making rounds on Facebook “Laziness is the mother of all evils, but she is a mother and we need to respect her :P”. So maybe I was just showing respect :P

At lunch the other day, we were discussing how bad the cafeteria okra was and then one colleague told us a recipe his mom used to cook okra. He said the same Oriya recipe is used for potatoes, brinjals, drumstick etc. He wasn’t aware of any popular name for the dish. Also, I got some vague quantities, so I just used my instincts with measurements. In the end, it turned out awesome. I did try it with okra, but I liked the potato and drumsticks better. The following recipe serves 2.

Potato and Drumsticks in a Mustard Gravy (Oriya Style)

Drumsticks and Potato in a mustard sauce - Oriya style curry

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Indian / Oriya
Prep Time:     45 minutes (Includes the soaking time)
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              2 servings

Ingredients:

2 Potatoes
1 Drumstick (Optional)
2-3 cloves
2 Yellow Mustard Seeds
2 Tbsp Poppy seeds / Khus khus
2 tsp Vegetable Oil
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Mustard Oil
2-3 dry Red Chillies
Salt to taste
Water

Method:

Soak the mustard, garlic and poppy seeds in half a cup of water and keep aside for at least 30 mins.
Chop the potato into rough cubes.
Peel and chop the drumstick into chunks.
Drain the mustard, garlic and poppy and grind into a fine paste using a little water.
Heat the vegetable oil and the red chillies.
Add the potatoes and turmeric powder and stir fry them for 30 secs.
Add the drumstick and fry for 30 secs
Add the mustard paste and mix until the vegetables are coated with it.
Add 1 cup of water and salt and cover and cook until the potatoes are cooked.
Add water to get desired consistency.
Add a dash of mustard oil once the pan is off the stove and mix well.
Serve hot with roti or bread