THE COOK BOOK

THE COOK BOOK :

Bombay Potatoes

A restaurant dish and probably a hybrid of some of India’s more popular home-grown potato recipes. I have to say this dish beats my own Punjabi cumin potatoes, and it goes with almost everything.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• Salt, to taste
• 3 large potatoes, halved
• 15g root ginger, (peeled weight)
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large-ish tomatoes, one quartered, the other cut into slim wedges
• 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
• ¾ tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• ⅔ tsp. turmeric
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• ½ -¾ tsp. chilli powder
• Large handful coriander leaves, chopped

Method

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well. Place in the potatoes and boil until just tender (up to 30 minutes). When cool enough to handle, peel and chop into 2.5 cm cubes.

Blend together the ginger, garlic and quartered tomato until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and, once the cumin starts to darken, add the onion. Cook for a minute before adding the ginger and garlic mixture, the ground spices and salt. Sauté gently for one to two minutes or until the garlic smells cooked. If you are not sure, taste; it should seem harmonious.

Add the tomato wedges, stir well and cook for three to four minutes. Tip in the potatoes and cook for three to five minutes to absorb the flavours. Check the seasoning, stir in the chopped coriander and serve.