Authentic India: Diced Potatoes with Turmeric and Cumin

Now, unlike the last post, this dish is much simpler and much faster. It shouldn’t take more than 15 or 20 minutes. It was really good and it can be served with most meals, Indian or not.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Lbs. new potatoes or red potatoes ( We used russets because that is all we had. We peeled them, but if you use reds, you can leave the peals on.)
• 5 TBSP.  vegetable oil
• 1/8 tsp. ground asafetida (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. whole black mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt ( I added a little bit more to taste)

Directions:

• Clean and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, put in succession the asafetida, then the mustard seeds, and then the cumin seeds. Add the potatoes and stir once or twice.
• Sprinkle in the turmeric. Continue to stir every now and then and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned and almost done.
• Sprinkle in the ground coriander, ground cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Recipe from A Taste of India by Madhur Jaffrey