Bengali Potatoes with Spices (Bengali Aloo)

Chef Hari Nayak, author of My Indian Kitchen (Tuttle, August 2011), wants you to spice up your vegan life with the bold spices and authentic ingredients of Indian cooking. Here’s his recipe, featured in My Indian Kitchen, for Bengali Potatoes with Spices.
Chef Hari Nayak, author of My Indian Kitchen (Tuttle, August 2011), wants you to spice up your vegan life with the bold spices and authentic ingredients of Indian cooking. Here’s his recipe, featured in My Indian Kitchen, for Bengali Potatoes with Spices.

Bengali Potatoes with Spices (Bengali Aloo)

This recipe by Chef Nayak is an inherently vegan Indian recipe. Be sure to read Chef Nayak’s vegan Indian cooking tips.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

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• 3 large potatoes (about 2 pounds)

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• 4 tablespoons oil

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• 1 onion, diced

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• 1 green bell pepper, diced

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• 1 tomato, diced

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• 1 teaspoon salt

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• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground Indian Five Spice Mix (see below)

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• 4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Directions:

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1. In a large saucepan, combine potatoes with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

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2. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool. When cool, peel the potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch dice. Set aside.

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3. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are slightly cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

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4. Add tomato, salt, and Indian Five Spice and cook for another minute.

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5. Add potatoes and stir them around for about 1 minute to allow the flavors to mix.

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6. Taste for seasoning and sprinkle on more salt if needed.

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7. Cook for another 3 minutes to let the potatoes heat through. Sprinkle with cilantro, mix in, and serve.

Indian Five Spice Mix: Mix together 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, and 1 tablespoon nigella or celery seeds. Dry toast the whole spices in a skillet for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, let cool completely, then finely or coarsely grind the spices.

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