Potatoes with Greens and Radish

Potatoes with Greens and Radish

This dish takes me back some 40 years to my Mausi’s (Aunt’s) house. India like other tropical countries enjoys an array of vegetables. This is just as well as my Mausi, like so many other Indians, was a vegetarian. Despite the huge variety of vegetables available she used every bit of the vegetable to create her own new recipes.

 In India the most popular type of radish (Mooli) is the long thin white variety. This is used in a salad rather than as a vegetable, however, the green top shoots and leaves which usually end up in the bin in most homes, were created in yet another side dish at my Mausi’s house. She made this slightly bitter dish, the taste of which once acquired, was difficult not to like. 

When I arrived in the UK in the 1970’s I was surprised at the paucity of vegetables in the markets. Though it had fewer vegetables available, it easily made up for this by the abundance of greens on the shelves. I think Indian vegetarians have made the most of these greens. I have used the red radish to give this dish that bitter taste and have used spinach or greens instead of the green tops from white radish which are still not available here.   

Ingredients:

• 200 gms Spring Greens and Spinach chopped.
• 3-4 Small Potatoes cut in to small pieces.
• 5-6 Red Radish sliced.
• 1 inch fresh Ginger chopped.
• 3 Garlic pods chopped
• Pinch of Hing (Asafetida)
• 1 tsf Mustard seeds
• 2 whole dried red Chillies
• 1 tsf coarsely ground Coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsf Chilli coarsely ground
• 1 tsf Salt
• Oil for cooking

Method: Heat the oil in a wok. When the oil is hot put, hing, broken dried red chilli and mustard seeds. Let them brown. Add the coarsely ground chilli, coarsely ground coriander seeds and mix well. Add the potatoes and cook them for 5 minutes. Add the chopped greens and sliced radish and mix well. Cover the wok and cook on lowered heat for another 10-15 minutes or till potatoes are cooked.  It goes well as a side dish with the main meal.