Republic day – as a child growing up in India, both Republic day and Independence day meant waking up early to watch the parade on Doordarshan, going for the flag hoisting, singing the national anthem with pride and participating in the dance and singing performances that the ladies in our colony would train us to for weeks ahead of the big day. The celebrations would finally end with a box containing a ‘motichur ladoo’, and a samosa!
And at home, we would celebrate in our own little way with tricolor salad. I continued this even after moving to Switzerland – the way I see it – food and craft is the only way to teach our expat kids about celebrations back home, both festive and patriotic.
Today being the Republic day I thought of trying out this tried-and-tested recipe which has been a hit in our family – An Indian (tri-colour) twist to the traditional Swiss Rösti.
Rösti is a traditional Swiss dish mainly consisting of grated potatoes (boiled or raw) topped with cheese and garnished with salt and pepper spread out like a pancake. Here’s my version of how you can make it Indian.
Ingredients
- Grated carrots – 500 grams
- Grated Potatoes – 500 grams
- Coriander leaves – half a bunch
- A mix of onion, garlic, ginger (I used 3 medium-sized onions, 3 cloves of garlic – grated or finely chopped, 1 teaspoon grated ginger)
- Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
- Sabzi/Sambar masala – 1 teaspoon
- salt – according to your taste
(the choice of vegetables is yours really! Other than the potatoes, you can add any veggies of your choice. I used carrots and coriander for the orange and green effect. Play around with the masala according to your family’s taste)
This recipe is sufficient for 4 rostis.
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Spread it out in a hot pan just like you would do to make dosas or pancakes.
But as this batter is not smooth like dosa (pancake), it’s best to add portions of the mix and flatten it with the ladle. Add oil and cover it with a lid. The potatoes will help bind the dish together and give it a crispy effect.
Now flip the rosti using a plate to let the other side cook. Once crisp, on both sides, the Rösti will slide off easily onto a plate!
Serve with your favorite chutney, sauce or simply yoghurt!
Wishing you all a very happy Republic day!
Disclaimer: Opinions and methods expressed are solely of the writer. Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any obligation or liability which may arise from the content.
