Potatoes in rich creamy yogurt and mint pesto

Yum

Baby potatoes coated in rich, creamy, aromatic pesto. Served it chilled as a salad or at room temperature as a curry. The  flavor of mint is celebrated in this pesto for sure. 

I get baby potatoes only at this time of the year at the local farmer’s market.  You get them in three colors, the pale yellow, red and purple. Somehow I have not developed a taste for purple potatoes. Probably it is a mindset. Meanwhile in my herb patch the mint is growing wild. I hate to dispose them off. Even after generously giving them away to many of my friends/neighbors, I have plenty. If I can say so myself I really outdid myself in this recipe.  It’s fresh, aromatic, spicy, tangy and just perfect. You can serve it as a salad or make hot rotis and it could be passed of as a curry. 

If you are not fond of mint, this recipe is not for you. I thought the baby potatoes were the real hero but it’s the mint.  The left over pesto was used in cucumber sandwiches and was a winner. Am going to blog about that real soon. 

Really nothing much to share this week. I know I had something to tell you guys, but somehow I can’t remember now. Oh yes! I am planning to re-start ‘Culinary Optics’. Culinary optics was my Column for the Daily Meal, showcasing interviews with food photographers/stylists. Am planning to restart that column and this time it will be exclusively on TNS. I have already asked someone very special. She said ‘yes’. All I can say is, you guys love her work, she’s an amazing artist and her work is fantabulous. Hint: She loves to bake. Am sure you can guess who I am talking about.

4-5 cups baby potatoes washed and boiled at room temperature
1 cup hung thick yogurt/curd or greek yogurt
handful of fresh mint leaves
3-4 red chillies
1/2 inch ginger
2 garlic cloves (optional)
1 tsp garam masala
3 tbsp walnuts or cashew nuts
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onions (very finely cut)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Boil the potatoes and let them cool. They need to be at room temperature - not warm or hot.

Blend together mint, ginger, garlic, red chillies, garam masala, salt, lime juice, olive oil  and walnuts into thick paste with very little water. Keep the pesto a little course, as it adds texture to the dish. Mix it with the hung curd/yogurt and chopped onions.

Toss it with the boiled n peeled potatoes. Garnish with mint leaves and chili flakes. Serve chilled as a salad or at room temperature with hot rotis.

For hung curd : take 3 cups yogurt (preferably homemade) and pour it in a muslin cloth tie the cloth and hang it, so the excess water from the curd/yogurt drips off. In about 3-4 hours you will have a nice thick yogurt

For recipe of garam masala click here