The Best Quick & Easy Indian Potatoes in Red Sauce

Indian food sounds so exotic to Americans, and it is. Indian has not been adapted and Americanized like other ethnic fare such as Italian, Mexican, or Chinese – which is a good thing! Indian food is terrific, although it often has a bad rap – it’s too spicy, it’s greasy, it’s high in fat and unhealthy, I hate curry. Well, let me debunk some of these fallacies. Indian food is healthy in its extensive use of fresh vegetables, whole grains, and non-meat proteins. It is cheap to prepare and recipes are easy. Often recipes fit the bill for comfort food. And it's fun and interesting to eat something out of your comfort zone. To prove that, here is a recipe for the best potatoes that uses the bounty of the season – fresh potatoes, tomatoes, and herbs. Just don’t tell your family you’re serving “Indian” but do expect compliments.

The source of the original recipe I used came from this month’s Secret Recipe Club where I was assigned Jayasree’s Samayalari Cooking is Divine blog. SRC members are assigned another participant’s blog, select a recipe, make it, then blog about it, with all entries posting on the same day. This blog is rich in traditional Indian dishes, and the biggest challenge was deciphering what the ingredients are (thanks, Google!). But, I learned Indian foods uses pretty basic stuff common in most cuisines – potatoes, rice, tomatoes, spinach, onions, garlic. While Jayasree's blog is vegetarian (and eggless), Indian dishes can contain meat. I also enjoyed learning a bit about her culture and family. Thanks for the education, Jayasree!

I decided to make on potatoes in a red coriander sauce frankly because it didn't sound too Indian and I thought everyone would like it. And we did! This side dish is quick and easy and can be made with ingredients common to an American pantry. And these are likely the best summer potatoes ever. Never would I have ever thought to mix potatoes with tomato “gravy”, but it works. The creaminess of the potatoes compliments the bright flavors of the spices and tangy sweetness of the tomatoes. The spice mix you grind uses coriander seeds, a spice that rarely get used in my kitchen but will going forward. Coriander seeds add a subtle, floral citrusy flavor. I substituted fresh lemon verbena from my garden for the curry leaves. And there seems to be a lot of debate among foodies if fresh coriander leaves are the same as cilantro, which I used because I had it. We had leftovers which I plan to eat tomorrow with a poached egg for lunch.

Here is the original recipe, and the recipe below reflects the changes I made to it.

Potatoes in Red Coriander Sauce

4 generous servings

1 pounds new red potatoes, skin on and cut into bite sized pieces

1 teaspoon oil

1 1/2 teaspoon tamarind extract (or equal amounts lime juice and brown sugar)
1 cup fresh tomatoes, pureed
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon verbena leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable broth or water
3 to 4 sprigs cilantro leaves

Spice paste:
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium onion
1 teaspoon red chili powder

Cook the potatoes.

Combine all the ingredients for the spice paste in the bowl of a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Set aside.

In a large skillet heat oil over a medium high flame. Add the ground paste, tamarind extract (or lime juice/brown sugar mixture), tomatoes, lemon verbena  leaves and allow it cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Add the broth and cover the pan with a lid. Reduce heat and allow the mixture to cook five minutes.

Once the potatoes have absorbed the masala gravy, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Print recipe.