Recipe: Indian-Style Home Fries

INDIAN HOME FRIES

"This dish uses an Indian cooking technique that results in mouth-watering spicy potatoes fried to a crisp golden brown. Like American home fries, the potatoes are first cooked until tender before they are sauteed. However, before that final step, they are tossed with a tantalizing paste of garlic, fresh ginger, a bit of turmeric, and ground red pepper, and then fried with whole fennel seed. This dish is marvelous with roast chicken."

6 medium boiling potatoes
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 pinch ground red pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (heaping) teaspoon fennel seeds

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain, cool slightly, and peel. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes.

In a blender, process the water, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, and red pepper until a paste is formed.

In a large, preferably nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the fennel and cook 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in the spice paste, then cook 2 minutes.

Add the potatoes and stir with a spatula to evenly coat them with the spice paste. Fry 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potatoes have a golden brown crust.

Servings: 6
Adapted from source: The Potato Harvest Cookbook by Ashley Miller