Potato Sagu

Potato Sagu/Sagoo offers a great veggie option to replace curries, in particular, as an accompaniment for Indian flat breads. It is semi-mashed in consistency and hence can be introduced to children at a much younger age (I first gave it to Anjalie around ~7 months), albeit, with milder spices.

You will need:

Potatoes – 4/5 Medium size
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomatoes – 2 to 3
Coriander leaves - ½ cup
Cumin seeds -½ tsp (optional)
Mustard - ½ tsp (optional)
Asafetida – pinch
Garam masala – 1tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp or more according to your taste
Oil – 1 tbsp



Preparation:

Cook potatoes with salt and turmeric powder; drain, peel and mash them. Heat oil in a pan; add mustard, cumin seeds, asafetida and allow it to splutter. Skip this step if making this for children under 1 year old (due to string flavor of mustard seeds). Add curry leaves, onion and fry till the onions turn transparent. Add tomatoes, garam masala powder and red chilli powder. Fry till the oil separates. Add the mashed potatoes, salt, and little water. Boil this for 5-6 mins. It should be semi-mashed in consistency. So adjust the amount of water accordingly. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with Indian bread/tortillas/pita. You can add fresh green chillies as well to give it a kick.

Tip: I sometimes add 4 tbsps (1/8 cup) of cooked channa dal/yellow split peas to the sagoo to give it a twist. You can pressure cook both potatoes and dal together and mash them. You can add other veggies like carrots, peas etc to it or add chickpeas/black-eyed peas for a variety.