Potatoes with Sesame Seeds, Cumin Seeds & Black Mustard Seeds

OK... I confess that even with all the nutritionally superior root vegetable, my favorite remains the common potato. Not sweet potatoes, or yams, or beets, or turnips, or carrots... the potato. They are the ultimate comfort food in my book and while they are not the healthiest choice, they certainly satisfy. In this Madhur Jaffrey recipe, they get a little more exotic--stir-fried with a combination of sesame seeds, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds.

Jaffrey says, "Here is another of those easy, delicious dishes that you might enjoy both with Indian meals and with simple dinners of roast and grilled meats. I like the potatoes to have a few brown spots on them."

Potatoes with Sesame Seeds
From 100 Weeknight Curries by Madhur Jaffrey
(Serves 6)

900g (2lb) potatoes, boiled in their sins and cooled for 3-4 hours
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
about 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Peel the boiled potatoes once they have cooled and dice them into 2cm (3/4-inch) cubes. Heat he oil to very hot in a large non-stick 25-30cm (10-12-inch) frying pan over medium heat. Put in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and sesame seeds. As soon as they begin to pop--this takes just a few seconds--put in the diced potatoes. Stir-fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes.

Add the salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes. 

Notes/Results: The flavor of these potatoes is excellent--the sesame and cumin seeds stands out with the lemon adding a bit of brightness and the cayenne a touch of heat. I did use about half the oil on these--I find 6 tablespoons to be far more than is actually needed, and I also reduced the salt and added a little extra lemon. I cooked them more than double what the recipe directions said to get them to the right soft texture. I used Yukon gold potatoes, I could probably have boiled them another couple of minutes and I diced some of them larger than asked for (I am an inconsistent dicer) ;-) But, since I like the crispy browned bits of potatoes the best, the longer cooking allowed for more of it. These potatoes are simple and would go well with any meal--not necessarily Indian, or you can be like me with most side dishes, and just eat them by themselves and call it dinner. I will make these again.

The weekly theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Root, Root, Root for Root Veggies! You can check out the different root vegetable recipes by visiting the post and following the links.