VAL’S YELLOW POTATO CURRY (INDIAN)
My mom makes what my kids refer to as ‘Yellow potato curry’ because of the tumeric that goes in. We fight about who gets Mom when she visits so we can have a veg and roti day. It’s very simple:
- oil for frying*, approx. 3 tablespoons**
- 1 onion, diced, ok honestly she uses ½ and I use 1 for more gravy
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ‘pinch’ of jeera seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed ginger and garlic paste
- 5 – 6 potatoes, cubed into even pieces***
- 1 small stem curry leaf
- salt, to taste
- Optional:
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder or 2 fresh chillies with small slit in them (This is my preference, not Mom)
Note:
* Use a broad based pot for more potato to be in touch with the oil
** Tip: add an equal amount of butter for the best flavour
*** Mom says she precooks the potatoes for 5 mins in the microwave, arranged around the edge of a plate with gap in centre for even cooking, just in case the potatoes are not soft cookers.
Heat oil to medium and add onions.
Braise till almost clear then add mustard, jeera, ginger and garlic-ginger paste and stir.
Give it a minute so the paste cooks lightly – stir a bit if it seems to catch – then add the tumeric and curry leaf, stir to spread and so the flavour infuses.
Turn up the heat a little and wait for the oil to get a LITTLE hotter without burning the spices then add the cubed potatoes as much in one layer as you can.
The idea would be that the potatoes would seal a bit so it doesn’t mash in the cooking. Turn down heat.
When it pulls away slightly from the bottom flip potatoes, add salt, chilli if using, stir and let it cook for a minute or 2.
Add a little water, put the lid on and let it cook and infuse the spices into the potato.
It must braise not boil so small amounts of water as needed till cooked.
It may need the occasional stir but the idea is not not break up the potatoes.
Variation:
Some families add a very ripe tomato grated, after the spices, for a gravy potato curry. I would add chilli to that version, but that’s optional.
Recipe and photo: Val Powys and Leora Nair
