Curried Stir-Fried Potatoes

We’re surf-&-turfing it for Father’s Day dinner, and mom suggested mashed potatoes as a side. Nah. How can you settle for an overwrought, cliché mound of starchy glop when I haven’t even made a dent in How To Cook Everything yet?

I had some doubts about this dish when I started to put everything together – it described itself as “crunchy,” but there wasn’t nearly enough oil to crisp the potatoes. Refreshingly, it’s the potato’s natural firmness that shines through here. The very light amount of oil plus the steam from the potatoes themselves give them a perfect textural balance. Plus, the garam masala, cumin seeds, and cilantro give every bite infinitely more pep than their smushed counterpart.

“Better than french fries.” – me

Curried Stir-Fried Potatoes
from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything.

makes: 6 servings.
time: 15 min prep, 10 min cook time.

3 T neutral oil
1 T cumin seeds
1/2 small red onion, diced
1.5 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and shredded – I bet you could try it with a different variety too. Let me know how it goes!
1 T garam masala – using curry powder here is another possibility.
Salt and pepper
Pinch (or more) cayenne
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds (I took them off the heat here; don’t burn them!).

2. Add the onion, potatoes, garam masala, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the onion has caramelized and the potatoes are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. The potatoes need not – in fact, should not – be fully tender.

3. Add the cilantro to the pan, toss once or twice, and serve immediately.