Mashed Potato and Steamed Vegetables

I would volunteer to help my Mother in the kitchen, when it came to peeling the potato skins. Somehow the curry planned for the whole family would end up on ration at dinner time. My father would say, "You should have made some more." But the truth was, I used to help myself to boiled potatoes while on work!

Every time I peel potatoes, I remember this and wonder how my mother never figured it out. Even now I have fetish for boiled potatoes.
I cooked this mashed potato for my kids.

4 Large Idaho Potatoes
2" Butter
4 tsp Cheese
2 cups Half-Half or Milk
1/2 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Pepper Powder
1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes

For Steamed Vegetables
15 - 20 Beans
3 Carrots
1 cup Peas
1 cup Sweet Corn


Boil potatoes with enough salt till they are very soft in a pressure cooker of micro oven.

Do not let the potatoes become too cold or, heat the mash after doing it as warm potatoe mash absorbs all the items evenly.

Peel the skin and mash them using a ..... to a soft paste. Add butter, cheese, basil, chili flakes, pepper and half-half and mix thoroughly, add luke warm water as required till a nice (not too thick) consistency is formed. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning to suit you.

For Steamed vegetables, cut the vegetables to a desired shape, bite size or long.

In a skillet, bring 2 cups of water to boil, add salt, 1" butter or 2 tsp oil, turmeric and then add the vegetables. Cover the lid and cook on medium flame till the vegetables are soft. Drain the water.

Serve the vegetables with mashed potato when warm.