A cry for simplicity...

After all the holiday cooking and eating with rich indulgence, we craved for something simple. A humble meal of the traditional dal, rotis and a sabzi (vegetable) has been long awaited. While I am done eating exotic fancy dishes for a while, it's still a tad bit hard for me to completely stop my escapades in the kitchen. The past one month saw me make a variety of party and holiday dishes full of elegance and flair. As life gets back to the normal non-holiday routine, I am slowly catching up with my simple cooking methods. But somedays, I crave to go a step further! When I first ate this dish at a dear friend's place, I instantly knew it was going to be a regular on my menu. From the looks and taste of it, it seemed to come out from some great kitchen, cooked up with the utmost care and style. But one try at making it, and you'll believe that simple meals can sometimes be the most gourmet! Alu Tamatarwale

Ingredients: 2-3 potatoes, boiled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger 1 tbsp chopped green chillies 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder (hing) 2 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder salt, to taste 1 tbsp cooking oil Method:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add asafoetida powder, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, add in chopped ginger and green chillies.

Add chili powder, turmeric powder and tomato paste, and cook for a few minutes till the paste soften and oil starts to form on top.

Throw in the potatoes and sprinkle salt, and mix thoroughly to evenly coat the potatoes with the sauce.