Of Potatoes and Improv

In June 2014, just two months before our wedding, my left leg was shattered in a moped accident. Z’s first Ramadan since her mother passed away happened during  that summer I spent lying in bed recovering from surgery. I wanted to try to do something to make Eid — the celebration of the end of Ramadan — a little more bearable for her. Z had told me many times how her mom always made aloo paratha (flaky flatbread stuffed with potato) for Eid. So that’s what I wanted to do for Z.

I had no potatoes, no vehicle, and I could only stand for about 30 seconds before excruciating pain in my leg forced me to sit until it passed. But there were frozen Arby’s curly fries and pre-made paratha in the freezer. So I adapted a recipe for sookhe aloo I found in a cookbook, taking into account that the curly fries were already salted and spiced. Z ended up liking it so much, Arby’s aloo has become a regular part of my cooking repertoire. The recipe I use now is adapted from the recipe for sookhe aloo my host mother gave me during my first summer of language study in Lucknow. She did not give me measurements, so the measurements I provide are roughly what I use.

Arby’s Aloo:

• Fenugreek seeds
• Cumin seeds
• Bay leaves
• Kathai (“bitterness” or “sourness”): amchoor (powdered unripe mango), lemon juice, or lime juice
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Turmeric
• Black pepper
• One yellow onion (small diced)
• Frozen seasoned curly fries (the measurements I give below are for a 22 oz. bag)
• Frozen peas

1. Dump the whole bag of curly fries into a microwave-safe bowl. You want them to be mushy, so add about 1/3 cup of water and give them a toss to coat them. Microwave on high for nine minutes, stirring halfway through and adding more water if needed. While the fries are in the microwave, you’re going to start was is called a tarka (hot-oil infusion):
2. Heat about 5 tablespoons of oil (I use walnut oil, but anything for medium- to high-heat cooking is fine) in a large sauce pan or frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmery, add around half a tablespoon of cumin seeds. They should begin to puff up and darken almost immediately. If they don’t, keep an eye on them until they do. Once they’ve puffed and darkened for a few seconds, add about a scant teaspoon of fenugreek seeds and 3-5 bay leaves. Give the oil a quick stir or two and add the onion.
3. Add a small amount of salt (maybe half a teaspoon for now) and sauté the onion until it is semi-translucent and fragrant. Add the curly fries and stir to coat them with the onion and spice mixture. With a potato masher or the back of your stirring spoon, mash the fries until they are barely recognizable as fries.
4. Add about a half teaspoon of turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (adjust more or less to taste), and about a teaspoon of your kathai. Continue sautéing for a minute or two.
5. Add the frozen peas and continue cooking until the peas are thawed. Taste to adjust your seasonings. If you add more spices, be sure to cook for at least another minute to cook out the taste of raw spices.

Serve this as a side dish with kababs (Colonel Kababz are a good frozen kabab available at Indian grocery stores if you don’t know how to make them yourself), other vegetables, and rice or naan. Stuff Goya frozen empanada shells (follow the directions on the package) with Arby’s aloo and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. Or make our puff pastry potato samosas: using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets, cut each sheet into 9 squares. Put about one tablespoon of aloo in the center of each square. Paint two adjacent sides with some beaten egg, and fold into a triangular mini-turnover shape. Crimp the edges with a fork and bake the samosas for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Until next time, aloo be wishing you good cooking and happy eating!

NOTE: If you make this with potatoes rather than curly fries, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. While they are boiling, use a frying pan to dry roast ~1/2 tablespoon of whole cumin, ~1/2 tablespoon of whole coriander, and 1 or 2 dried chilis. Grind the roasted spices in a food processor or mortar and pestle, and add ground spices when you add the potatoes in step 3.