The humble potato is a supremely versatile, comforting and affordable vegetable that, contrary to popular belief, is not in the least bit fattening!
Ingredients and Method
The humble potato is a supremely versatile, comforting and affordable vegetable that, contrary to popular belief, is not in the least bit fattening!
POTATO POWERHOUSE
The simple spud is packed with health benefits…
> Potatoes are an excellent source of unrefined carbohydrates.
> They can put you in a good mood! Apparently they affect our levels of serotonin — the feel good chemical — in the same way that chocolate does.
> Try to avoid peeling potatoes where possible, it’s the skin that contains most of the fibre.
> Potatoes contain vitamins and minerals — B1, B6, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, copper, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and zinc.
> They’re a great source of potassium, which is essential for healthy muscles and facilitates the proper functioning of your heart and digestive system.
> They’re low in sodium.
> According to the 11 food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) of South Africa, starch should be the basis of our diets.
> A 100 g boiled potato (with skin) provides 354kJ of energy — the starch in turn converts to glucose to fuel brain and muscle activity.
> There is only 0,1 g fat per 100g potato.
SUDANESE POTATOES NUTRITION PER SERVING
Energy 656kJ Carb 23.8g
Protein 4.3g Fat 4.9g
This is an ueber-comforting, utterly delicious recipe inspired by award-winning vegetarian chef, Nadine Abensur’s cookbook The Crank’s Bible (Weidenfeld & Nicolson). It can be served as a side dish or topped with reduced-fat feta and served as a main course with a salad.
1 good-sized onion, roughly chopped
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
1/2 C (125 ml) water
1/2 t (3 ml) garam masala
1/2 t (3 ml) ground coriander
1/2 t (3 ml) dried chilli or to taste
2 x 400 g cans chopped or fresh tomatoes, plus 2 ripe tomatoes
500 g waxy potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
6 plump garlic cloves, quartered
100 g (1/4 C or 60 ml) reduced-fat feta (optional)
small bunch coriander, torn roughly
salt and milled pepper
Serves 4–6
Heat olive oil and water in a large pan or casserole dish with a lid and saute onion for about 5 minutes. Add spices and tomatoes, breaking them up roughly with a wooden spoon. Add potatoes and garlic, stir to immerse potatoes in sauce and simmer for two hours. You can also cook this dish in a casserole with a lid, in a preheated 160C oven for two hours, having first simmered the potatoes for 5 minutes on the stove. Serve topped with a handful of roughly torn coriander. Optional: to make this dish into a main course, sprinkle with feta . before serving
POTATO TRIVIA
> Marie Antoinette was known to wear potato flowers in her hair.
> Potatoes can help remove stains: rub a fresh potato on a dry stain for a few minutes and wash as usual.
> According to the Guinness Book of Records, the biggest potato ever was grown in England and weighed in at a whopping 4kg!
> Herbalists in the 16th century believed the potato to be a powerful aphrodisiac that could cure everything from diarrhoea to tuberculosis.
> The humble potato has even inspired musicians and playwrights. Jazz genius Louis Armstrong sang Potato Head Blues and even William Shakespeare dedicated a line to the potato in the Merry Wives of Windsor.
