Parsi Style Kharo Safed Papeto & Papeta Par Edu

Once again, two recipes in one post. Tum sab ka itna haq toh banta hai yaaro. 💖 This is a simple potato shaak/dish done the Bawa (Parsi way). If you have Parsi friends you are sure to know, we are a breed that throws eggs over almost any and every type of food. Be it tomatoes, potatoes, okra (ladyfingers), ripe bananas, ripe mangoes, ridge gourd and more. In this recipe, I showcase the humble potato shaak and elevate it to a high by ‘lovingly smothering’ it with eggs. ;-)

Ingredients:

6 large potatoes, quartered and then cut into thin slices
1 - 1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
3 large onions, sliced 
12-15 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust according to your spice tolerance)
20-22 cloves garlic, finely chopped (adjust according to your spice tolerance)
A large handful of coriander leaves, chopped
Salt, to taste
6-8 tablespoons oil
6 eggs
Coarsely ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok, splutter cumin seeds.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Add green chillies, onions, garlic, and sauté until the edges of the onions begin to turn light brown.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add the potatoes and toss them well in the onion mixture. Season the potatoes with salt.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Cover and cook on a very gentle flame till potatoes are cooked. Do give the potatoes a gentle mix, intermittently. Preferably use a spatula.
   
   
   
   
   
5. When done add coriander leaves and mix carefully (try not to mash the potatoes). Ensure the coriander gets evenly mixed with the potatoes.
   
   
   
   
   

Kharo Safed Papeto... done!

Now, to lovingly smother the potatoes with edas (eggs)… 😊

Papeta Par Edu

1. Empty out the cooked, piping hot potatoes in a non-stick pan and flatten them out evenly.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Break the eggs, carefully, over piping hot potatoes. Season the eggs with a bit of salt.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cover and cook on a gentle heat.
4. When the eggs are semi-set, sprinkle some coarsely ground black pepper or a light sprinkling of dry, crushed coriander powder, or a few fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped.
5. Cover and cook till eggs are set to your liking (hard yolk or soft).
   
   
   
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. While I usually throw whole eggs over the potatoes, you can also separate the whites from the yolks, beat the whites quite stiff, add the yolks and beat again, pour the eggs over the potatoes, and cook on low flame till the eggs set. This sets like a soft mousse over the potatoes.
   
   
   
   
   
2. IMPORTANT: Ensure that the potatoes are piping hot when you add eggs over them. If you add eggs over cold potatoes, the yolks will remain on top and the eggs whites will seep in and settle below. It mars the look of the dish.  
3. The eggs in my photographs are soft set or sunny side ups. Feel free to cook the eggs to the consistency you prefer. 
4. Please use less oil if you are diet conscious, just don’t give me grief about the amount I used, 😈*evil grin*
   
   

   

   Boiled potatoes to be cut in the same way as raw potatoes

   
   
5. I usually cook this with raw potatoes, but at times, I have a few boiled ones in the fridge. When this dish is cooked with boiled potatoes, the cooking time reduces, but do cook the potatoes well on low flame (covered). This is to ensure the boiled potatoes absorb the flavour of the onions, green chilies, garlic, and seasonings. 
   
6. There are no powdered spices add to this dish which is why I suggest you use the correct number of chilies and garlic as these herbs lend the main flavour to the dish. You don’t want to be eating bland potatoes.
7. While THIS is the exact recipe for the original Kharo Safed Papeto, I sometimes cannot resist adding curry leaves, or mustard seeds, or a few coriander seeds to the potatoes; just to give the dish a change of scene. As for sprinkling chopped fresh coriander on top... my variations to that are, dry, coarsely crumbled coriander leaf powder, coarsely ground black peppercorns or a light sprinkle of chili powder.
8. I have cooked this dish many times and clicked it many times too, hence, the backgrounds, serving dishes, pans, in the photographs, may vary, but rest assured, they are all clicked by me.
9. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   
   
   
   

Some more photographs:

Kando Papeto

Decades ago, my dad spoke of a time when his mum would cook potatoes in ginger-garlic for him. That is why I whipped up this recipe for him. Little did I know at the time, it would go on to be a family favourite, especially for my dad. He loves all kinds of potato sabzi (vegetable), but this one remains his all-time favourite. A note to the Parsi clan.. This recipe is NOT to be confused with the Parsi Kharo Papeto. The flavour profile of this potato recipe differs from Kharo Papeto. 

The literal and simple translation of ‘Kando Papeto’ means, ‘Onion Potato’. No fancy-schmancy name needed for this beaut! 😉 

The onions, the coarsely ground pepper and the adu-lasan (ginger-garlic) are the main ingredients that lend flavour to this dish. Do not toy with the recipe by adding extra spices, or herbs, coz then, you will not be making Kando Papeto, you will be making something entirely different. Just this once, stick to the recipe. No toying! Pretty please!

This one’s for dad! ❤️

Ingredients:

500 grams potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 to 5 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1½ teaspoon coarsely ground black peppercorns
2 heaped teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. Add cumin seeds and allow to splutter.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Add sliced onions and fry until the edges begin to turn brown. 
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add coarsely ground black peppercorns and sauté for a few seconds. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and salt, turn the flame to MEDIUM-LOW and sauté until the ginger-garlic cooks and releases a lovely aroma. Do NOT allow the ginger-garlic paste to burn. 
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add the cubed potatoes and toss it well, but gently, with the onions. 
   
   
   
   
   
6. Once the potatoes are well tossed with the onions, turn the flame to LOW, cover the kadhai/wok and allow the potatoes to cook for 5 minutes. 
   
   
   
   
   
7. At the 5-minute mark, open the lid, give the potatoes yet another gentle toss.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Check seasoning. Adjust if required. Cover, and cook on LOW flame for two more minutes. Serve! 
   
   
   
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. Please do not cut the potatoes larger than 1-inch pieces as you need them to absorb the flavour of the added pepper and ginger-garlic paste. Feel free to cut them smaller, if you are sure you won’t mash them when you toss them. 
2. To ensure the potatoes don’t turn to mash when you cut them, after peeling, store them in the fridge for an hour or two. I usually boil potatoes a day ahead and store them in the fridge. This ensures I get perfect cubes when I cut them. 
3. The reason I suggest you begin adding the coarsely ground pepper when the edges of the onions begin to turn brown, is because the onions will continue to fry to a deeper colour as you continue sautéing the pepper and ginger-garlic. By the time, the ginger-garlic cooks, the onions will have achieved the correct colour and consistency, half fried brown, and, the other half pinkish/translucent (as seen in the photograph). 
4. Please feel free to increase or decrease the pepper and ginger-garlic paste quotient depending on your tolerance of the spice but as there is no other spice, masala, or flavouring, I would suggest you not reduce them too much unless you are cooking this for your kid/s. 
5. At the end of the cook, if you see oil at the bottom the kadhai, spoon out the potatoes into your serving bowl and use the oil for any other dish. It barely has any spices; hence the oil will work with anything you cook. 
6. I would suggest you not be stingy with the oil, in fact, if you feel the need to add more while frying the onions, do so, and get the extra oil out once the dish is done. The flavours will not come together well if the potato-onion mixture is too dry, hence the suggestion for oil. 
7. Ideally, as always, to ensure you don’t bruise or mash the potatoes, I would advice the use of a spatula to toss these babies. 
8. Please use boiled potatoes for this recipe. Don’t go with raw ones. 
9. Just this once, the onions will work as your garnish. Please do not add any herbs like parsley, or coriander leaves, to this dish. It will overpower and mess up the peppery-ginger-garlic flavour profile. 
10. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs:

Potato Bhaji – Jeeru Rai Harrad No Papeto

Once again, I’m posting a basic recipe for newbies venturing into the kitchen arena. This is a simple, potato recipe that pairs brilliantly, as a side, with various lentils. It gets done in very little time and most important, if you’re anything like me and have a few potatoes boiled and ready in the fridge then… inko chil liya, toh life jingalala. 😉

Ingredients:

6 medium sized potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into cubes

3 medium onions, finely chopped

5 - 6 long green chillies, chopped fine

14 - 15 cloves garlic, thinly chopped

12 – 13 curry leaves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¾ teaspoon mustard seeds

1 – 1¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt, to taste

A handful coriander leaves, chopped

4 – 5 tablespoons oil, or as needed

Method:

1.    Heat oil in a large non-stick pan/kadhai.

2.    Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and allow to splutter.

3.    Add green chillies, garlic, and sauté for a minute or until a nice garlicky aroma becomes evident to your olfactory senses.

4.    Add onions and sauté until the onion go translucent pink and are just about to turn light brown.

5.    Add turmeric powder, salt, and sauté well to mix into the onions.

6.    Add the boiled potatoes and using a flat wooden spoon or a spatula, mix the potatoes gently but very carefully into the onion masala.

7.    Lower heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes to ensure the potatoes absorb the flavour of the onion masala.

8.    Open lid and check for seasoning and add if necessary.

9.    Cover once again and cook for a further 5 minutes.
 

10. Add coriander leaves, cook for a minute more and take the vessel off the heat. Serve!

Chef Notes:

1.    You can also make this recipe using raw, thinly sliced potatoes but if you are a newbie in the kitchen, and are unsure of cooking raw potatoes, I’d advise you to stick to using boiled ones.

2.    The sizes of the potato cubes is roughly ¾ inches. If you feel you can handle them carefully in a smaller size feel free to chop them accordingly.

3.    The green chillies and garlic can be adjusted to taste. Do use quite enough, though, as it is mainly these two ingredients that will lend heat to these potatoes.

4.    I chopped chillies two ways as mum and dad cannot handle spicy food. Some chillies were chopped large so that they could be set aside while eating.

5.    When tossing potatoes in the onion masala, the best technique is to use a flat wooden spoon or better still, a spatula and beginning from the sides of the pan toss the potatoes into the center of the pan. Continue doing this gently from all sides of the pan until the potatoes are well coated with the masala. This will ensure the potatoes don’t break into a mash.

6.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs: