Habanero Potatoes (Spicy Alu)

I got this recipe from my sister, who is an awesome cook in her own right. She is so skilled that, unlike me, she doesn't rely on the "cooking by measurement" way of doing things!

This dish doesn't really have a generic Indian name, so I figured Habanero Potatoes/Spicy Alu (potatoes are called Alu in Hindi) is descriptive enough. The best thing about this recipe is that it is super easy, super fast, and super tasty. In essence, it is super. The fennel gives a unique flavor to the dish which tends to leave everyone (at least those that have not looked at this blog post!) guessing about the secret ingredient. Don't worry, it doesn't taste like licorice!

The potatoes can be boiled, peeled and halved up to a day ahead of time, making total cook time about 10 minutes. It is meant to be very spicy. The salt content offsets the spice, a little. This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

12-14 baby new potatoes, boiled, peeled & halved
2-3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
3/4 tsp fennel (saunf) seeds
3/4 tsp coriander (dhaniya) seeds
3/4-1 tbsp salt
1- 4 habanero peppers, sliced lengthwise (seeds should not be removed)
1/4 cup washed & chopped fresh coriander

Method:
1. Boil the baby potatoes in water until soft but still firm.
2. Peel potatoes and halve them (this can be done up to a day ahead of time, in which case you would then place the potatoes in a covered container in the refridgerator). Note: If you don't have baby potatoes, you can simply use regular cooking potatoes and just cut them in larger pieces. I find that about 4-5 large potatoes approximates the quantity of 12-14 baby potatoes.
3. Crush cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander seeds in a clean coffee grinder.
4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil, then turn down the heat to medium.
5. Add salt and crushed seeds and fry for 30-40 seconds (make sure the seeds do not burn).
6. Add habaneros (I find 2-3 habaneros to be plenty spicy, but you be the judge) and fry for another 20-30 seconds.
7. Add the potatoes and fresh coriander and mix gently.
8. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes over very low heat (if you are using cold potatoes from the refridgerator, extend this to about 10-12 minutes).
9. Serve hot.

Because this dish is dry and spicy, it is usually good to serve a cooling yogurt raita as a side dish. As far as other vegetable dishes, any dish with more gravy (e.g., mattar paneer, saag, chole) would go well. The potatoes can be eaten with roti or naan.

Here's to your appetite!

Henna