As someone who loves a good meal, cooking one, came to me as a natural passion. I belong to a family where meal times consisted of not just food, but also noisy conversation centered around the events of the day and discussing the menu for the next. (ah yes, we are a greedy lot! )

For the most part of my life so far, my contribution in the kitchen was assisting mom and my duties were limited, to chopping veggies and laying the table. Then along came the great Indian wedding, and I was suddenly the queen of my very own kingdom. My curiosity about this magical world, coupled with an enthusiastic sous-chef (my husband, Vineet), led me to take on the challenge of preparing meals on a daily basis, and not succumbing to the convenience of hiring a cook.

This blog is a product of my experiments with food (not all are life threatening :D) for my fellow culinary enthusiasts - especially the newly weds and hungry bachelors and is dedicated to the women who've inspired me in the kitchen;
Aji (s),Ma and Nigella Lawson.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

BBQ Party Potato Salad


Poolside BBQ's are a popular choice among folks here in Singapore. The warm sunny weather all-year round, and the fact that our poolside is dotted with family sized BBQ pits, makes impromptu parties a fun, welcome way to spend a Saturday evening.
This modest chilled Potato Salad uses very standard pantry ingredients and comes together in barely 10 mins (not counting the time needed to boil the potatoes of course!). It works as a refreshing, tangy contrast to the smoky flavours of BBQ'd meat and veggies. I'd recommend making this a couple of hours in advance and then covering it and allowing it to chill before serving.
I plan to experiment a little more with this recipe the next time I make it by roasting the potatoes instead of steaming them... but if any of you readers beat me to it, let me know how it turns out! :)


Ingredients: (Serves 4-5 persons)
- 1kg baby potatoes, steamed till tender
- 1 large red Onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup regular or eggless Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves Garlic, grated
- 1-1/2 tsp Lime juice
- 1-1/2 tsp cracked black Pepper
- 1 tbsp dried Chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp fresh /OR/ 1/2 tbsp dried Mint leaves
- 1 small handful of Coriander, roughly chopped
- Salt, to taste





Method:

1.) Slice the cooled baby potatoes into rounds, not too thin, but thick enough to pick up with a fork.  Set aside. Peel the potatoes if you must before you slice, but I left the skins on.

2.) In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, dijon mustard, grated garlic and lime juice to make the salad dressing. Add the cracked black pepper, chili flakes and mint. Mix well.

3.) Pour the dressing over the potato followed by the sliced red onion and mix gently to coat the potatoes evenly. Do a quick taste- test and season the salad with some salt.

Cover the salad with some plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for atleast 30mins. Garnish with a handful of chopped coriander right before you serve. Enjoy! :)