Curried Potatoes

I just adore potatoes in all forms so I came up with this recipe. It's Indian comfort food for the soul. I made it last night with success.

Makes 3 servings
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
-1 1/4 lbs (about 4 good sized) Yukon gold potatoes, diced
-1 tsp mustard seeds
-1/2 c diced onion
-1 tbsp vegetable oil (I use canola)
-1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
-1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
-1/2 tsp chili powder

Preparation
Cut the potatoes in half length wise. Cut each halve in half again (as if you were scalping a head -- a terrible thought, yes - but the best way I could describe this action. Then cut these into 3 or 4 slices length wise, and then cut into 1/4 inch cubes/rectangles more or less. The smaller the potatoes the faster they will cook.

Heat oil on medium heat in non-stick pan. Throw in mustard seeds and cover until you hear them pop. Add onions and saute until soft. Throw in potatoes and stir until they are thoroughly covered in oil. Toss in all spices and mix until thoroughly absorbed by potatoes. Cover pan, lower heat, and let cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are nice and soft! Occasionally check on potatoes to makes sure they aren't burning and give a quick stir. The non-stick pan is recommended for this dish as it will eliminate burning and other cooking mishaps.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can't really go wrong with the spices -- if you toss in a bit too much it's not going to make the recipe bad or anything. When I made this recipe last night, I only added 1/4 tsp red chili powder but didn't taste it at all hence the modification to 1/2 tsp. You can add more onions (or less) depending on your preference and taste. When they are in season, I sometimes I toss in a small tomato.

Serve with your favorite Indian bread or corn tortillas. This stuff is so darn good if I do say so myself. The picture doesn't do this dish justice and the yellow color is not food dye -- it's the turmeric.