Railway Potatoes
This is a delicious Indian recipe from a cookbook called 5 Spices 50 Recipes.
1 1/2 lbs medium sized red potatoes
5 tablespoons canola oil 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne |
1. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into quarters, then crosswise into 1/8" thick slices.
2. Make the tadka*: Heat oil in a large wok over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds, covering the wok with a lid of spatter screen. After the seeds stop sputtering, Add the turmeric and stir for a second. Immediately add the onions, potatoes, salt and cayenne. Toss well to combine, cover, and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are tender and crisped, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. |
To find the spices cheaply and in bulk, visit a local Indian grocery store.
I don't like this dish being spicy, so I tend to leave out the cayenne.
*Making a tadka is a traditional Indian method for imparting the flavor of spices to food. First, spices are added to very hot oil. The spices will sizzle and sputter, so keep a cover or spatter screen handy. The main ingredients are then directly added to the tadka to cool off the spices and keep them from burning. For this reason, you can't make a tadka in advance, and you should have all your preparations done and ready to go before you start cooking, so that you can work quickly.
I don't like this dish being spicy, so I tend to leave out the cayenne.
*Making a tadka is a traditional Indian method for imparting the flavor of spices to food. First, spices are added to very hot oil. The spices will sizzle and sputter, so keep a cover or spatter screen handy. The main ingredients are then directly added to the tadka to cool off the spices and keep them from burning. For this reason, you can't make a tadka in advance, and you should have all your preparations done and ready to go before you start cooking, so that you can work quickly.