"My father even taught me how to make...": Shashi Tharoor reveals his favourite South Indian dish

Shashi Tharoor is an Indian politician, author, former diplomat, and public intellectual renowned for his eloquence, command of the English language, and extensive vocabulary, which have earned him a distinctive place in public discourse. While he mostly talks about literature, economy, and Indian politics, when he was recently asked about his love for food and his favourite South Indian meal, the 70-year-old public figure went on a trip of nostalgia and shared his favourite recipe, which was taught to him by his father.In an interview with RedFM, he recalled, "If you want specific dishes from my home, there were two or three particular dishes that I enjoyed the most. One of which is Urulakizhangu Upperi." He added, "Now this is a Palakkad phrase. Urulakizhangu is potatoes, and upperi means something else in other parts of Kerala. But in my family and in Palakkad, it was a fabulous dish. My father even taught me how to make it. He was a great chef himself. In the household kitchen which was usually occupied by a domestic helper, he made sure I learnt this recipe." Explaining the recipe, he mentioned, "First boil the potatoes, peel them, boil them in water with haldi and salt. Then dice them and then you toss them, saute them in a mixture that you've done in the mixi already of just red chillies and small onions, the shallots, the tiny ones. And again with salt to taste." "Some people, if they dare it, can also put a little bit of tamarind. My mouth is watering as I think about this. Then you can, toss it and saute it and of course if you like, you can roast it so much that it turns black as some people like to do," he added and concluded stating, "It is the most delicious dish imaginable. You can have it with rice, you can have it with roti, puri, whatever you want, it's a fabulous thing."It is a traditional dish from the South Indian state of Kerala. According to Shashi Tharoor, it is a word from Malayalam, where "urulakizhangu" means potato and "upperi" refers to a stir-fried or sautéed vegetable preparation. It is a simple and easy potato dish, where the boiled potatoes are diced and stir fried with spice and make for a crisp exterior and a soft interior dish, which is served with rice, sambar, rasam, or curd.Ingredients: 2 large potatoes, 1 tbsp peanut oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, 2 strands curry leaves, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, a pinch asafoetida, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder, and salt to tasteMethod: To being with, cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker for three whistles. Switch off, allow the pressure to go by itself. Open the cooker, drain the potatoes. Peel and slice in to medium sized pieces. Set aside. In a kadhai, heat the oil, add mustard and cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the urad dal and fry for a minute. Add the curry leaves and fry for another minute. Now add the masala powders and stir well. Add the potatoes and give it a good mix. Leave it on a low flame for about 5-6 minutes. Add the salt and mix well again. Serve warm as side dish with rice and curry!