Urulaikizhangu patani thair pachadi - Potato, peas and yogurt salad/raita

URULAI KIZHANGU PATANI THAIR PACHADI


This is another of my favourite dishes which my mother prepared often.We usually had this side dish with mango rice,vangi bath or any other 'variety rice'.It goes very well with vattal kuzhambu and hot plain rice.On very hot days when we are not in a mood for hot and spicy side dishes,we can certainly enjoy this simple and cool nutritious pachadi with vegetable pulav, chapaties and other main dishes.

I wanted to post this recipe since a very long time but some how it got postponed.The moment I went through the list of vegetables to be used in the contest announced by Manjula's kitchen I was inspired to do this post.The only variation I have introduced here is the addition of green peas which my mother did not use in her dish.




INGREDIENTS
Potatoes - 2 big ones
Cooked green peas - 1 cup
Yogurt - 2 cups
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 pinch
Tur dal - 2 tsps
Curry leaves - a few
Broken red chillies - 3
Sugar - 1/4 tsp

METHOD
1. Wash and pressure cook the potatoes .( Cut into half if they are too big so that the inner core gets cooked well).
2. Cool the potatoes very well and then peel.
3. Crumble the cooked potatoes taking care not to mash them up into a paste.
4. Blend salt and sugar with the yogurt.
5. Add crumbled potatoes and cooked green peas to the yogurt and mix well.
6. Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
7. When the mustard splutters add tur dal and fry till it is golden in colour.
8. Add fenugreek seeds and then the red chillies followed by curry leaves.(Fenugreek seeds impart a good flavour to the pachadi.If the bitter taste is not prefered this ingredient can be ommitted.)
9. Pour seasoning on the pachadi and mix well.
Chill the pachadi. Add some more yogurt and fluff it up before serving because the potatoes tend to absorb all the liquid when chilled.
Enjoy the urulai kizhangu patani pachadi as it is or with your main course.