Potato Fry - Healthified

          King of Fries - Potato is yummy in any way, shape or form! It’s such a quick treat; you don’t need an actual recipe – just potatoes & oil in a hot pan, makes a fry. Not a big deal! Well, I wanted to come up with a HEALTHIFIED version, by minimizing the oil. And it did turn out Very Crispy!!! Try it out.

          Ingredients:

• 1 lb potatoes (I used yellow & purple fingerling potatoes)
• Salt, turmeric powder, Chilli powder – to taste
• 1-2 tsp of oil

          Pressure cook or microwave whole potatoes till just cooked.  Use less water when pressure cooking, to avoid soggy potatoes. Cool completely before peeling & cubing, to retain the shape, as hot potatoes break easily. 
          Toss in the remaining ingredients and let them sit for 1/2 hour.

          Set the oven to Broil-high. (about 500 degrees F). Spread the potatoes in a cookie sheet and place it in the second rack. (Avoid using aluminum foil or any kind of trays - they do not distribute heat evenly, so the potatoes don't get as crispy- flatter sheets give better crunch)

          Broil for 15 min, turning twice in between.

          Turn off the oven and let it sit in, until ready to serve, (upto 1/2 hour)  to keep the potatoes hot and crispy. 

Variations: Try adding 1/2 tsp of garlic powder for a slightly different taste. 

Tips: Storing in a covered dish immediately, makes them soft.        

Spice Mill

                     

          Coming from the WET GRINDER CITY myself, I am amazed at the possibilities of these little dry grinders.  Especially for those of us who did not have the foresight to bring the Indian Kitchen King - "Mixie".  Nothing beats the small, all-purpose jar of our Indian Mixie. The spice mill comes very close to fulfilling that void! 
          Available at most retailers, in different sizes, this is an inexpensive gadget.  Invest in a reasonable size. Smaller ones hold very little at a time and the bigger models takes longer to get the job done. 
            A few tips to successfully use this mini mill to our advantage-
1.    The spices need to be warm to hot.
2.    Do not fill to the top. Needs room to spin around.
3.    Give it a couple of shakes and few taps on the lid as it is ground. Gives an even grind.
4.    It can take very little moisture - like a few flakes of garlic, a couple of green chillies or a tsp. of coconut, but only with other dry spices. Add the moist item in the end and run it a few seconds.
5.   When grinding in bulk, give enough breathing time. These mills are not designed to run for longer periods.
          As with any appliance, follow the manufacturer's instruction.  Clean with a damp towel before storing away.