Potatoes cooked with garlic and sesame seeds

4 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
2poundsMedium-sized boiling
Potatoes
5tablespoonsVegetable oil
1tablespoonSesame seeds
3Good-sized cloves garlic --
Peeled and slivered
½teaspoonGround turmeric
teaspoonGround asafetida -- ground
1teaspoonSalt
teaspoonCayenne pepper -- optional

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut into fingers ("French fries"), ⅓- to ½-inch thick. Put fingers into a bowl of cold water for half an hour or more.

Drain and wipe dry.

Heat the oil in an 8- to 9-inch skillet [or wok] over a medium flame. When it is hot, put in the potatoes and cook them, turning once or twice, for 8 to 10 minutes. The potatoes should be partially cooked and not browned.

Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

Put the sesame seeds into the same skillet. Stir once. Now add the slivers of garlic, continuing to stir and fry over a medium flame. When the garlic begins to turn brown [the browning happens quickly], put in the turmeric and asafetida. Stir once. Now quickly add the half-cooked potatoes, salt, and cayenne. Stir again. Cover. Turn heat to low and cook gently until potatoes are done. Stir frequently.

Recipe By : Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking File