3000 miles 'til dinner.

This potato dish is delicious with grilled meats, poultry and fish; you can experiment with the spices and flavors until you get the “taste” you like best. Excellent with a dollop of yogurt or Raita (yogurt and cucumber).

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

7 medium russet potatoes

1/4 C. unsalted butter (option: light butter, olive oil)

2 large cloves garlic

1 medium yellow or white onion, peeled and quartered

1 small or medium (if you want “hot”) serranos chili, cut into several pieces

1/4 C. medium chop cilantro + reserve for garnish

1 T. lemon juice + reserve for adjusting taste

1 t. sea salt

1 t. black or white ground pepper

SPICES

2 t. fennel seed

2 t. cumin seed

2 t. fenugreek

1 t. ground coriander

2 t.  turmeric

2 t. black or yellow mustard seed 

Prep

*Cook potatoes: peel potatoes, put in pot, cover with cold water, add  2 t. sea salt and boil until tender.

*Fine chop - food processor: put quartered onions, garlic  and serranos in bowl and pulse to fine chop.

*Roast spices:  melt butter over medium heat in a heavy bottom skillet. Add spices and stir for 1-2 minutes or until the perfume of the spices begins to fill the air. (watch carefully — spices should not brown; you are simply roasting them to “freshen” and bring out their flavor) Add chopped onion mix to the skillet and cook over medium heat until onions are soft and begin to brown. 

When potatoes are tender, drain, cube and coarse chop in food processor and pulse. Option: cube into larger chunks and don’t put in processor. Simply decide what size you’d like your potatoes.

Add potatoes to onion mixture in skillet. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and cilantro. Heat through and simmer for at least 10 minutes, adding a little water if you think they are dryer than you’d like; adjust salt and lemon juice.

Serving

Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onion or parsley.

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥           consider substituting

*sub: olive oil for butter

*potatoes - try other types of potatoes; if you choose “thin skin potatoes such as new reds or yellow finns you may choose not to peel them

*cauliflower - try this dish by using 1/2 cauliflower and 1/2 potatoes. To prepare break the cauliflower into individual medium size pieces and saute with the onions until tender. Gently stir in potatoes

*spices - use a combination of the spices if you don’t have all of them (do not use more turmeric or your potatoes will be bitter)

♥ Helpful Hints♥   consider these substitutions

*mustard seeds a nice “crunch” and interesting flavor; caution: they will “pop” when           they get hot so be aware they may jump out of your pan; have a lid handy*fennel adds a definite flavor but substitute anise if you have it in the pantry

*use ground spices instead of whole

*excellent for breakfast, served under poached eggs or along side scrambled egges; fry/crisp potatoes in a little butter or olive oil

DO YOU HAVE LEFT OVER MASHED or BAKED POTATOES?

*make this recipe with spuds you already have cooked and in the fridge

(MIL post)