Indian Sweet-Sour Potatoes
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
750 g/11/2 lb potatoes
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 fresh chillies, sliced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder or to taste
1 tablespoon dried tamarind pulp
2 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar
Directions
Peel and dice potatoes. In a heavy saucepan heat ghee or oil and fry mustard seeds until they pop. Add chillies and ground spices and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add potatoes, sprinkle with salt and about 1/4 cup water, cover pan tightly and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, soak tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup hot water and squeeze to dissolve pulp. Strain out seeds and fibres. Dissolve sugar in tamarind liquid. Add to potatoes, stir gently, cover and cook for a further 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)