Pavta Batata

Before I go on to today’s recipe, let me tell you about the two wonderful people at home.Hubby is a person who can have all the vegetable curries and still ask if I can prepare some more for dinner.Even if the lunch menu is Fried rice with vegetables or vegetable pulao ,he would still ask for a vegetable side dish.When he is at home on weekends,the lunch menu must have a minimum of two vegetable curries!

The other wonderful person is, of course, my lil angel.She is just like her dad!She would rather have a bowlful of vegetable curry than a bowl of rice.To her all the vegetables are ‘yummy potato ‘ .Yes,like any other kid [or adult] she loves potato.All other vegetables are savored with equal gusto.If I prepare any dish with legumes it become ‘yummy pattani[peas].

For me though,vegetables were secondary items in a meal and the main one being pappad!No meal would be complete without it and many a times mom’s friends would jokingly remark that if I continue to eat pappads like this,my [future] hubby would have to slog more just to buy pappads and oil to fry it!The number of pappads I would have would be a minimum of half a dozen per meal.I would have Masala pappad with tea in the evening.Now you can decide what type of person I was in spite of knowing that goodness of eating vegetables.

After the wedding,when I cooked the meal, I realized that my ‘pappad fantasy’ had to vanish.I found out that he was not fond of pappad or any fried snack[except one-Bajji] and I found it boring[!!] to fry pappads just for me.

Now I have joined my brood and I have come to savor vegetables with more interest.

This weekend,I wanted a new dish and remembered bookmarking Pavta Batata from DK of Chef in you.It is a Maharastrian Dish and is a delectable combination of Lima beans and Potato.

Lil angel was the first to taste it and had a bowl of just this dish and refused to eat rice.Hubby who had it with his lunch enjoy it even more and finished the bowl all by himself sharing a little with MIL!

So I must say this was an instant hit with my family.I followed the Original recipe with just a tiny weeny change here and there.

You need:

Lima beans-1 cup
Potato- 1,peeled and chopped
Onion-1 ,chopped
Coconut -1/4 cup,grated
Chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Cumin powder-1/2 a teaspoon
Bay leaf-1
Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoons
Curry leaves- a few
Oil-2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

1. Soak lima beans overnight.Drain and pressure cook adding enough water till soft but not mushy.Drain and keep aside.
2. Microwave the potato for 5 minutes or till soft.
3. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard,cumin seeds,asafoetida,curry leaves,bay leaf.
4. When the mustard splutters put in onion and saute till soft.
5. Put in chilli powder, turmeric powder,cumin powder and saute for a minute.
6. Add the cooked beans and the potato and stir to mix.
7. After a couple of minutes put in the grated coconut and mix well.
8. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

A tasty dish ready in a matter of minutes!!

Happy cooking…