Shital's-Kitchen: Spicy Garlic Potatoes

Monday, June 1, 2015

Spicy Garlic Potatoes

Like I promised, here is another easy vegetarian BBQ recipe that is quick and you can never go wrong. On my little charcoal grill in my balcony, setting up and grilling food becomes super simple and fun. Two weeks back we put mat in the balcony and were ready to enjoy our dinner of grilled kababs, corn on the cob, and grilled potatoes. We love potatoes and yams grilled on charcoal...with crispy charred skin and sprinkle of salt pepper and lime juice, it is just delicious. It is a rustic and natural way of baking potatoes and yams.

This Spicy Garlic Potatoes is my creation of tandoori aloo that can go well as an appetizer or with naan and roti. These baby potatoes are par boiled, stuffed, and grilled on charcoal till the skin gets crisp and flavorful.

Ingredients
1 lb. baby potatoes
1/4-1/2 cup chilli garlic paste or my recipe Schezwan sauce
1 Tbsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Water to par boil potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp. chaat masala
Juice of fresh lime
Cilantro to garnish

  • Boil water in a large pan. Season it with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
  • Add washed baby potatoes with skin into boiling water. Boil for 7-8 minutes till they are slightly tender. You do want to keep them firm so that they don't fall apart when inserting a skewer through them.
  • Remove from water and let the potatoes cool for some time.
  • Slit the potatoes halfway. Gently open the slit and stuff with chili garlic paste or my recipe of schezwan sauce.
  • Insert a skewer through each of the potatoes.
  • Let the potatoes rest for few minutes for flavors to be absorbed.
  • Grill on hot charcoal or in an oven till they turn crisp and brown.
  • Serve in a platter. Sprinkle chopped onions, chaat masala, juice of fresh lime, and cilantro and serve.



After my last post on Dal & Sabz Seekh Kababs, I had lot of questions and requests to show how to use the charcoal grill? So here are few tips & tricks with pictures:

  • Below is my little terracotta charcoal grill from World market. You could use and terracotta pot too to make a small grill. The basic idea to use any charcoal grill is that charcoal should get enough air/oxygen which will help in burning. We all know without oxygen fire can burn out. So if using a terracotta plant pot as a grill, it would be a good idea to drill few small holes on the side for air to enter into the pot. 
  • Charcoal can easily be found in most of the stores. You could buy regular charcoal with an igniting liquid or use self igniting charcoal. Self igniting ones are easier since you don't have to pour ignition liquid on them, but both can work. 
  • Take a sheet of recycling paper and twist it to make a loose rope. Bring the edges together to form a ring. Place this loose paper ring at the bottom of the grill. Arrange few charcoals over the grill such that paper is not totally covered. It would require some air to continue burning. Do not overload the grill with lot of charcoal. It is easy to add charcoal later as needed.
  • Using a long lighter, light the paper ring at the bottom. As the paper continues to burn, charcoal will catch fire too. It might take time for it to burn too. Be patient and you might have to repeat this step.
  • Charcoal closer to the paper will burn faster than the ones further away and that is fine because eventually they will all start to burn and get red hot. 
  • When outer layer of charcoal burns it turns to ash and it is tricky to figure out it they are still burning or have they extinguished. Use a stainless steel plate or a hand fan and lightly fan the charcoal. The hot charcoal will glow red hot which indicates that they are burning fine and you are ready to cook on it. 
  • A pair of long tongs should always be kept handy to move charcoal around. Distribute charcoals evenly in the grill to ensure even cooking. 
  • While cooking with food that has been marinated with oil, few drops of oil on hot charcoal could create a flame, and that is okay. Just be cautious about it. 
  • Charcoal touching food is also fine. It can easily be dusted off if you want.
  • Remember to always soak bamboo or wooden skewers in water before using them so that they do not catch fire. 







Grilled Paneer and Vegetable Tikka




Grilled Corn or Bhutta



Spicy Garlic Potatoes







Happy Grilling!!

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