Indian Spiced Roast Potatoes and Me Rambling

Update: This recipe was linked to Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes for No Croutons Required, June 2011. The theme was Grill/ Roast - AND IT WON :-)

I want to let you all know that I am featured in the online blog magazine Be@Home. Do head out over there and check me rambling away about everything food, football and baby. This is my first feature, so I am rather excited about it :-)

And now for the usual service... why not try something different with the traditional roast? These Indian spiced roast potatoes may just do the trick!

This recipe came about as a bit of a happy accident. I was working on a few dishes for a blog challenge, and was experimenting with a few potato recipes. My MIL makes some delicious roast potatoes, and I wanted to recreate that crispy outside, creamy inside texture that hers have. At the same time, I was also working with a few spices for another dish. Then it struck me. How about if I added some spices when the potatoes were roasting? I wondered how that would turn out. I know that potatoes and spices already have a lovely affinity, and it would probably work out quite well.

I then remembered a Madhur Jaffery recipe for cumin potatoes, and decided that I would try and see if I could adapt it to roasties. So I worked out a spice mix by smell and taste (tasting raw spices is not much fun, but the end result was worth it). I wanted to include cumin, but also wanted some fragrant spices, so I tossed in some of my homemade garam masala (I really do have to write down how I make it soon, the difference between storebought and homemade is something else - Update: and I finally write it down, here it is), then I wanted some colour, so I added some ground turmeric. Tasted it, then decided it needed some more spice, so added the hot chilli powder (which I tend to use very sparingly and not as much)

Kay was very impressed with the result, and that says a lot, as he has become very blasé about my cooking of late. The potatoes were just way too good. Not only were they crispy and creamy, but the spice added just a whole new level of deliciousness. The fresh coriander added its characteristic bright taste to the finished dish, and I can see it going amazingly well with a traditional Sunday roast. Best of all, this dish is pretty much foolproof. No messing about with grinding spices, you can use already ground ones, and the rest, as they say is history. You might even have enough time to clean up the kitchen before serving dinner.

'This is truly soul food at its best' That line was from Kay, by the way, and of course, I did rib him which part of his soul was actually Indian :-)

Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

750g - 1 kilo new potatoes, scrubbed and peeled, if necessary.
Spice Mix

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp, or salt to taste

For the rest of the dish:

2 tsp whole cumin seeds
4 tbsp olive oil, less if you're using a heavy nonstick roaster
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
A good grate of black pepper
1/2 red onion, finely diced (optional)
Big handful fresh coriander, chopped

Method:

Boil the potatoes for about 5 - 7 minutes in heavily salted boiling water, until parboiled.

Drain, shaking the pan vigorously, so that the potatoes get a bit crushed on the outside. This will make them crispy on the outside while roasting.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl. Keep aside.

Whisk together the cumin seeds, olive oil, grated ginger and finely diced red onion (if using)

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Place a heavy roasting tin inside it for 2 - 3 minutes. Using oven gloves, take out the tin, and pour in the olive oil mixture. Immediately add the potatoes and spice mixture to the oil, and stir to coat the potatoes well.

Transfer back to the oven and roast for 20 - 25 minutes, until tender.

Turn off the oven, and turn the grill part on. Place the potatoes under the grill for around 5 - 7 minutes, watching them and turning ocasionally, until they start turning crispy.

Add the fresh coriander just before serving.

Serve hot. The potatoes taste really good reheated the next day, not as crispy, but still darn good.

This post is linked to Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes for No Croutons Required, June 2011. The theme is Grill/ Roast.