Any way you slice or dice it, crispy aloo (potatoes) are a treat. This recipe shares my little secret to crisper heaven–patiently cooking the potatoes in a stainless steel pan on med., then transferring to non-stick for a highly heated golden finish. The stainless steel pan crisps up the potatoes nicely while cooking the insides and the non-stick takes all the crispy bits and stitches them together, giving them an even brown palette.
This technique works well with plantains and okra as well, though of course the cooking times vary.
Assembling the Ingredients:
2 med. potatoes, cut into even 3 cm. squares
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. urad dal
1 1/2 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
Firing Up the Stove:
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp. oil in a stainless steel pan on med. for 2 mins.
- Add 1 tsp. mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp. urad dal. Roast for 3-4 mins. till the urad dal starts turning reddish-brown.
- Add the potatotes and cook for 5 mins. till potatoes soften. If you find the potatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan and you can’t scrape them out with a wooden spatula, turn the heat down a bit.
- Season with 1-1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili and 1/2 tsp. turmeric. Cook for 15-20 mins. stirring frequently until potatoes are crispy.
- Taste for seasoning and if necessary add another 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook for 1 min, stirring to mix the salt evenly.
- Turn off the stove and transfer the potatoes to a non-stick pan. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer (like a pancake) on the pan.
- Turn the heat up to high and cook for 2 mins. No stirring is required.
- Flip all the potatoes over and cook on the other side for another 2 mins.
- Crispy aloo squares sabzi is ready.
Eating With Your Eyes:
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