General: potatoes in curry dishes

Subject: potatoes in curry dishes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: mom0f4boys (momshea4 at msn.com)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:10:42 -0000
--------
For a few years, I have been fiddling around with chicken curry. A few months ago, I added potato because the crowd was bigger
than I expected, and I had to stretch it.

I chopped up new white potatoes, and boiled them in chicken broth with curry powder, cinnamon and salt. I added the potatoes to the chicken curry about 5 minutes before it was done. I expected it to be overkill on the strach, since the curry is served over rice..... but wow! It was the best curry I had made thus far! Between the textures of the chicken and the rice, the softness of the potatoes really added a different layer of 'feel'. They also brought a sweetness to the dish, and really carried the flavors well.

I also use Vidalia onions, diced tomatoes and fresh baby spinach in my chicken curry. Anyone have other suggestions?
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at isp.com)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:33:24 -0700
--------
Not a secret but very god, i like to add carrots with the potatoes.
From: George (george at nospam.invalid)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:35:13 -0400
--------
Joseph Littleshoes wrote:
> Not a secret but very god, i like to add carrots with the potatoes.

Same here, carrots and potatoes go well in curry dishes.
From: James Silverton (not.jim.silverton at verizon.not)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:47:42 GMT
--------
Potatoes seem to be used quite extensively in Indian cooking; that's what "Aloo" means in the names of recipes. My favorite Indian cookbook, an early edition of Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Cooking", lists at least a dozen recipes in the index and mentions the use of potatoes for extending the number of servings of meat dishes. It might be maintained that potatoes are relatively recent additions to Indian cuisine but they are contemporary with chilies!
From: Dee Dee (deedovey at shentel.net)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:04:29 -0400
--------
James Silverton wrote:
> Potatoes seem to be used quite extensively in Indian cooking; that's what
> "Aloo" means in the names of recipes. My favorite Indian cookbook, an
> early edition of Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Cooking", lists at least a
> dozen recipes in the index and mentions the use of potatoes for extending
> the number of servings of meat dishes. It might be maintained that
> potatoes are relatively recent additions to Indian cuisine but they are
> contemporary with chilies!

"Thanks heaven" for potatoes in curry; and tomatoes in Italian cuisine.
From: hahabogus (invalid at null.null)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:15:01 GMT
--------
James Silverton wrote:
> Potatoes seem to be used quite extensively in Indian cooking;
> that's what "Aloo" means in the names of recipes. My favorite
> Indian cookbook, an early edition of Julie Sahni's "Classic
> Indian Cooking", lists at least a dozen recipes in the index and
> mentions the use of potatoes for extending the number of
> servings of meat dishes. It might be maintained that potatoes
> are relatively recent additions to Indian cuisine but they are
> contemporary with chilies!

Try turning this around add curry to potato dishes...a little curry improve potato salad AFAIC.
From: James Silverton (not.jim.silverton at verizon.not)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:08:09 GMT
--------
hahabogus wrote:
> Try turning this around add curry to potato dishes...a
> little curry improve potato salad AFAIC.

True enough, but I don't favor adding curry powder directly. It does not take very long to cook a little onion with curry powder or spices and that is much better.
From: Joseph Littleshoes (jpstifel at isp.com)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:43:55 -0700
--------
hahabogus wrote:
> Try turning this around add curry to potato dishes...a little curry
> improve potato salad AFAIC.

A pinch of curry in just about any dish can dramatically improve the or at least alter a routine dish. I will put a pinch in freshly steamed green beans, not enough to make it a curry dish but enough to effect basic flavour.
From: azazello at koroviev.de (Victor Sack)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:54:59 +0200
--------
mom0f4boys wrote:
> I also use Vidalia onions, diced tomatoes and fresh baby
> spinach in my chicken curry. Anyone have other suggestions?

It is not at all rare to add potatoes to curry dishes. Goan vindaloo is often made with potatoes. Allo gobi is a potato and cauliflower curry. In dum aloo, potatoes are the only main ingredient.
From: Waldo Lydecker (ferrante276-waldolydecker at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:02:12 -0400
--------
mom0f4boys wrote:
> For a few years, I have been fiddling around with chicken
>curry. A few months ago, I added potato because the crowd was bigger
>than I expected, and I had to stretch it.

It sounds real good. Do you have your basic recipe for chicken curry?