Quick fix potato curry… Vatana Bateta nu Shaak and Bell Pepper Stir Fry
Since the time I started working, cooking something exotic and special is restricted only to the weekends…… Weekdays are for quick fix meals which can be made in a jiffy. But this weekend, with the lazy mood that I was in, I thought of making some traditional gujju dishes which are also quick fixes. 
This potato curry, which in gujarati we call it as vatana-bateta nu shaak can be made in flat 20 mins. YES 20 mins!!!!!
Lets get on with it.
And the time starts now………
Peel and chop 1-2 potatoes and take 1 cup of peas. Wash them together.
Heat some oil a pressure cooker. Let the mustard seeds splutter and then add the cumin seeds. Add the chopped potatoes and peas,
1-2 cloves of garlic (cruched),
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp turmeric,
2 tsp dhaniya jeera powder,
1/2 garam masala
puree of 2 tomatoes and
1-2 tsp jaggery.
(Ideally the tomato puree should do the job and you will not need to add any water. But if you feel it does not have a gravy like consistency then add about 1/2 a glass of water )
Cook for about two whistles and garnish with fresh corriander. How much time still remaining…..???? 
And this is the traditional VATANA BATATA NU SHAAK.
Serve with hot chapatis and steamed rice. And after that, make sure you take a nap for at least 2 hrs .
_____________________________________________________________
This is one dish which made me a bell pepper lover instantly!!
Heat about 1-2 tsp of oil in a pan and dry roast about 3/4th cup of bengal gram flour (Besan)
Keep stiring on low flame. After about 10-15 mins you should start getting the aroma of roasted flour. You should also notice a slight change in the colour at this time. (If you come across a few lumps in the flour while roasting, break them with the back of the spoon while you are stiring. If some of them still remain, never mind!!!! we aren’t going for any competition are we??? 
))
Once you start getting the aroma, add 1 tsp of red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt to taste. And mix it all together. Keep this aside.
Cut the bell peppers in about 1 inch squares - not any smaller than that!!!!! ( I have taken all three. You can even take one or two or whatever you like.) I took about 1/2 of each type.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the bell peppers and salt to taste (Be careful since you have already added salt in the flour. So balance accordingly) Cover and let it cook till they start to soften. (Takes about 10-15 mins )
Once they are soft (but still a bit crunchy) add in the flour and mix. (You can adjust the amount of flour you want as per your taste. If there is extra flour remaining you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it for future use. Since it is bengal gram flour it can be used in many dishes. Sometimes I intentionally roast more and store it in the fridge so that I don’t have to roast it again the next time. )
If you find its very dry just sprinkle some water and mix. This will depend on how pulpy your peppers are. If they are nice and thick, you will not need any. But if they are thin then yes, you might need to sprinkle a few drops.
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34 Responses to “Quick fix potato curry… Vatana Bateta nu Shaak and Bell Pepper Stir Fry”
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Coffee
Hi and welcome to The Cafe!
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Do come back for some more coffee…..
~ COFFEE!!
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I make a dish similar to your nameless dish. I put tadka with green chillies and fry the capsicums first, then sprinkle raw besan on the capsicum and fry till rawness goes. It tastes so good. I call it besanwali capsicum!
I love the different color peppers you’ve used. Looks cheery, somehow! 
Will try your version as well. 
Thanks for the name Vani
Hi ,
. why dont u do that just to make it easy to remeber for all oyur blog readers !
nice nameless dish ! well, when u make some hing so nice , u can alsofind an attractive name for this
well, nice dish indeed!
thanks for sharing
-Pooja
Hi Coffee
The bell peppers look so colorful. Great pictures and recipes too!
<strong>Thanks Laskhmik :)</strong>
I have similar dish with green bell peppers and Besan too. I called it’ Pepper stir-fry’:D
Dish very colorful and yummy.Loved the vatana dish,will try it. Great recipes, Coffee
<strong>Pepper stir fry…. nice name Asha…. Glad you liked the recipes :)</strong>
looks so colorful with all those peppers
Thanks Lakshmi
Hi Coffee….lovely recipes…I make the same kind of recipe with peppers, and I call it
“Marcha na ravaiya”, and that vatana-batata shaak is so yummy!
Trupti
your nameless dish looks colorful and delicious… How about rainbow curry for a name
Haha… it does look like a rainbow!!!! Didn’t realise till you mentioned it.
Hi Coffee…how are you. Sorry been quite recently been really busy. I am helping VKN of My Dhaba on a book (FAHC) project. Please visit the website, can do with all your support.
I have the say the nameless one looks lovely, a great lunch dish. Mutter batata shaak looks lovely too, I will try it and tell Jyostna I have been in the kitchen for hours preparing the dish…~grin~…take care…thanks…~smile~
Hi,
Very colourful bell pepper curry. Adding tomato puree instead of water is nice idea. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome MT.
Pepper Fry? I have yet to add besan to my dishes but am getting inspired by u guys. I am always looking for easy breezy recipes for a weeknight. thanks!
Not a bad name Shaheen!!!
Besan gives a different look and feel to the dish, try it sometimes. 
I liked ur nameless dish. I will try it soon.
Thx for sharing.
Thanks for dropping by Bhargavi
I will wait for your verdict 
Hi Coffee, followed hits from your site to here. That Besan Marcha looks fabulous. Now, why didn’t I think of trying it with all the colorful peppers??…That might actually make my toddler more receptive to it. Fabulous!!!
Loved the curry. Tried it for a maidless/chaotic/hectic week day, dinner and was so-so convenient to cook. thanks
Hi Coffee,
Potatoes are my favorite, I tried your stuffed potato curry for dassera and it was a big hit, so this one is on my list too.Those pics look so tempting. Wish you could see, I am drooling.
I know I have been here before but I have come to say *drum roll*
Happy Anniversary on the 10th!!
Wish you many many more and have a wonderful Sunday celebration:)
Mine was on a working day, but will have fun this weekend.
heyy,
was browsing & dropped by…
i also love d besan-capsicum sabzii! try adding a bit of ground peanuts to it *IF u like peanuts*, kind of adds to the taste!
greets,
reshma.
Yor capsicum looks yummy
Also had hear the name of the curry, never knew it was so easy & quick
Thanks a lot Coffee
<b>Coffee</b> those vatana batata nu shaak looks delicious…I like it when its rasa walla. Since i was brought up in gujarat i love gujju food…all my friends are gujju and use to love their food. My craving for gujju food never ends
i think i will try this shaak today…And your capsicum are looking colorful i would suggest you name it rangeen marchanu shaak 
hey Coffee — both look great. i am going to have to try them over the next week. i have everything on hand.
both turned out great, Coffee! :P thanks!
Coffee i made vatana batatanu shaak and it turned out great loved it so much that now once in a week i make them…its real simple recipe too! thanks a bunch.
Glad to know that Sri!!!!!
Thanks for letting me know 
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Thanks Sri
Wish you the same 
Hey this is simple and superb.Love to see this.Thanks for sharing.HAppy new year.
Thanks Soumya!!!
Happy new year to you too !!!1 
Yummmmmmmyyyy dish with the capsicums. I used to do a different version (adding the besan etc., with the capsicums) but this one is delicious. It sort of tastes like our Paruppu-usili but a quicker one… oh yes, I added some hing and sugar to the besan:) Thanks, as always, Coffee!
You’re welcome Latha
Glad you liked it. 
Coffee,
This time I am here thro Pooja’s blog. I just loved your quick fix potato curry. Just loved the idea of putting it all together and cooking.Quick and easy and yet gorgeous and tasty.
Thanx
Ur welcome dear.
Hey! Great pics! Quick question: How did you get the feature where the actual recipe is on another page and you simply put a link to that in your post? g
Hi G,
for putting the link…. first write the word, then highlight it and click on “link” tab(it will be on the page where you write the post…… ). A small window will open where you can copy paste the URL you want the link to go to. Thats it!!!
hi
i tried your quick fix curry, it was so easy to make and very tasty. the best thing i liked about the curry was putting all the items together and cooking.thanks
Glad you liked it.
Appreciate you letting me know. 
Thanks. 
Toooooooo good.
Keep it up.
Love
Cynthia (Kuwait)
Just curious, I might have missed it during my 3times read of this recipe;-) but you did’t put salt? Is it a sweet tasting dish or salt goes in it without saying?;-)
Sorry if it sound silly but just wanted to make sure if it is some traditional guju dish:-) I am really into traditonal dishes these days;-)
Hey all you ppl..I just took up cooking as a substitute of my wife, who has been resting due to pregnancy related problems. So I came across this site and you got some terrific stuff out here that’s quick and yet delicious. Keep posting so that guys like me can survive and surprise our spouses by flaunting our abilities at cooking. My wife loved Vatana Nu Shak. Thanks very much
Hi .. lovely and easy recipies.. thanx..am going 2 try these..
hi
i made your besanwale shimla mirch, it was very yummy. the entire family loved it. thanks a tonne for posting such good recipes. planning to add it on to my weekly menus.
[…] Puri with vatana bateta nu shaak! […]
I normally cook once in a blue moon… But, this one came out so good and your process was so easy… people were asking for the recipe to my surprise… thanks a lot and good luck… I will definately try some more of the recipes.