Best Bengali Potatoes Recipes

GROUND LAMB KOFTO KEBABS WITH POMEGRANATE GLAZE, BENGALI-SPICED POTATOES AND PERSIAN CUCUMBER RAITA

Steps:

• For the raita: Mix the cucumber, mint, garlic, and yogurt together in a large bowl with plenty of salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill.
• For the potatoes: Fill a large pot with cool water and put over high heat. Add the potatoes and a hefty dose of salt. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and push them through a potato ricer. Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the panch puran seasoning. Cook the seasoning blend until fragrant and the spices begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and saute until tender and lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the potatoes and flatten them with a spatula, cook about 5 minutes, stirring and flattening a few times, until the bottom gets a little crispy. Season the potatoes with salt, and pepper, to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, shallot, lemon zest, and garlic and pulse until finely minced. Add the mixture to a bowl with the ground lamb, baking soda and lots of salt and pepper, to taste. Knead until the mixture turns sticky, looks like a piece of knitted fabric, and holds its shape. Pull off a small ball of meat and shape into a fat cylinder. Thread a skewer through the middle lengthwise, and smooth the meat down the skewer until it's even all the way down. Repeat with rest of the meat mixture. Put the kebabs on an oiled baking sheet and drizzle with a little more oil. Combine the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Light a grill or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Arrange the kebabs on the hot grill, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, generously brushing with the pomegranate mixture. Cook the kebabs until browned, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer the kebabs to a serving platter and serve with the potatoes and raita on the side.
• For the raita: Mix the cucumber, mint, garlic, and yogurt together in a large bowl with plenty of salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill.
• For the potatoes: Fill a large pot with cool water and put over high heat. Add the potatoes and a hefty dose of salt. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and push them through a potato ricer. Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the panch puran seasoning. Cook the seasoning blend until fragrant and the spices begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and saute until tender and lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the potatoes and flatten them with a spatula, cook about 5 minutes, stirring and flattening a few times, until the bottom gets a little crispy. Season the potatoes with salt, and pepper, to taste, and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, shallot, lemon zest, and garlic and pulse until finely minced. Add the mixture to a bowl with the ground lamb, baking soda and lots of salt and pepper, to taste. Knead until the mixture turns sticky, looks like a piece of knitted fabric, and holds its shape. Pull off a small ball of meat and shape into a fat cylinder. Thread a skewer through the middle lengthwise, and smooth the meat down the skewer until it's even all the way down. Repeat with rest of the meat mixture. Put the kebabs on an oiled baking sheet and drizzle with a little more oil. Combine the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Light a grill or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Arrange the kebabs on the hot grill, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, generously brushing with the pomegranate mixture. Cook the kebabs until browned, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer the kebabs to a serving platter and serve with the potatoes and raita on the side.

INDIAN BENGALI POTATOES WITH POPPY SEEDS (ALOO POSTO)

Steps:

• Grind poppy seeds as finely as possible in a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them in 3/4 inch dice.
• Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, put in the potatoes. Stir and fry the potatoes so they are very lightly browned-just golden-and only half cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Put the 3 whole red chillies in the same oil. As soon as they start to darken, put in the ground poppy seeds and 2 Tbs. of water. Stir and sauté this past until it turns a medium brown colour.
• Now put in the potatoes, about 3/4 cup of water, the turmeric, red chilli powder (cayenne pepper), salt and green chillies. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done and most of the water is absorbed.
• Note: the whole chillies should only be eaten by those who know that they are doing.
• A Taste of India Madhur Jaffrey.

BENGALI POTATOES

Steps:

• Boil sweet potatoes until soft.
• Heat a wok, add the oil and stir fry the panch phoran for 1 minute and then add the garlic and stir fry for another minute.
• Now add the onion and stir fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the sweet potatoes and coriander and stir fry until all the ingredients are well blended and heated through.
• Season with salt if desired and serve immediately.

BENGALI-STYLE OVEN-FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Remove oven racks & spray them with oil.
• Wash potatoes & slice them lengthwise into sticks 1/2″ thick or crosswise into rounds 1/3″ thick.
• Transfer to a baking pan & spray well with oil.
• Add seasonings & toss to coat. Place the rounds in a single layer on the oven racks. Place the racks in the centre of the oven.
• Bake until the potatoes are tender, with a deep, golden-brown crust, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve piping hot.

BENGALI CHICKEN CURRY WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the onions in the hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir the tomatoes into the mixture and cook until the tomatoes are pulpy, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with the cayenne pepper, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and cumin; cook and stir another 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken and potatoes to the mixture in the skillet; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro over the mixture and continue simmering another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

BENGALI HOT POTATOES WITH DRY-ROASTED SPICES

Steps:

• 1. Boil the potatoes in water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then peel and cut them into 3/4-inch pieces.2. Place the kalonji seeds in a small skillet and dry-roast them, stirring and shaking the pan over medium heat until they are fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and reserve for garnish. Similarly, dry-roast the red and green chili peppers and the poppy and fenugreek seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool and grind them in a spice or coffee grinder until fine.3. Heat both the oils in a large nonstick wok or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ground spices, sugar, and salt, and cook, stirring and turning carefully, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the roasted kalonji seeds on top, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.