I believe this is the most basic way to make potatoes in any desi house. And the most delicious!
At the most basic level you only need 3 ingredients – potatoes, salt and cumin seeds (zeera). But you can modify and fancy it up any way you like – Add more spice with some fresh green or red pepper flakes. Or add a bit more colour to the potatoes with some turmeric when boiling. Or add even more flavour with a pinch of amchoor (dried mango powder) and curry leaves. The possibilities are endless with these potatoes.
This was one of my favourite dishes to eat when I was a child. When in doubt just have some zeera aloo and rice!
Zeera Aloo (Desi Hash Browns)
A simple 3 ingredient hash brown. Desi-fied!
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium potatoes I like Yukon gold.
- 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
- salt, to taste
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and dice the potatoes (peeling is optional).
- Add potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Optional – add a pinch of turmeric to give the potatoes a nice rich yellow colour. Boil until fork tender. About 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil. There should be enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add the cumin seeds and allow them to cook for 30 seconds and start to sizzle.
- Add the boiled potatoes and gently stir to coat in the cumin oil. Being careful not to break up the potatoes too much.
- Allow to cook on medium low heat undisturbed for a few minutes. This will allow them to start to turn golden and crisp.
- Gently stir and cook for a few more minutes to get golden brown.
- Sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
Optional – add sliced green chillies to the cumin oil to give these potatoes more of a kick.
Another optional flavour add-on – add a sprinkle of amchoor – dried mango powder at the end with salt for an added tangy flavour.
