When you look back, past always seems more pleasant than the present. No matter, how difficult the days were, you will have something memorable, something you hold onto. I went to college in a town in Southern India and it was not common in the 90s to find a restaurant, a decent one to eat out especially the fancy Biryanis and the Pualos. When I make and eat this now at home, my memories flood with my days in college, the friends I used to hang out with and the foods we used to like and share-
The inspiration for this dish comes from a small shop opposite to my college which used to have the best rice dish with nothing but freshly grown mint leaves,(Yes! grown in the owner's house), rice and spices.Oh! And Potatoes, I forget! —Shri
Shri takes us to her memories of her college years and the meals she shared with friends. To my Western mind, her recipe is a meal that's partly exotic, but well in the realm of comfort food. The blandness of the potatoes and rice is enlivened and brightened by the mint and chiles, and a tasty range of whole spices. I added the onions with the ginger-garlic paste, quartered the potatoes and let it cook covered for 25 minutes. Next time I'll parboil the potatoes -- and I look forward to the next time. Don't skip the raita, or plain yogurt. It pulled all the parts together for me. —susan g
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