Potatoes with Buttermilk (aloo chaas)

excerpt from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

It dawned on me the other day that if I had to follow a carbohydrate-free diet, I would most definitely contemplate end-of-life decisions. I know that sounds extreme, but that’s how passionate I am for potatoes. I am forever willing to be the spud’s poster child, as long as I receive a steady supply to fry, mash, sauté, stuff, stew, simmer, bake, and braise (of course, money would be nice too). This curry balances the chiles’ fiery potency with soothing-cool buttermilk laced with cream, a perfect blanket for my tuberous compulsion.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed [DN: I use arbol]

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • 1 teaspoon rock salt

  • 8 medium-sized cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

  • 1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, coarsely chopped, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes, and submerged in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning [DN: or whole baby potatoes]

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk [DN: or whole and skip the cream below]

  • 2 tablespoons heavy (whipping cream)

Directions

  1. Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set the bowl aside until they are reconstituted, about 15 minutes. Then remove the softened chiles, reserving the spicy water. Coarsely chop the chiles, making sure you do not remove the seeds.

  2. Pile the cilantro, rock salt, garlic, and chiles in a mortar. Pound the ingredients to a pulpy, red-speckled, pungent mass with the pestle, using a spatula to contain the mixture in the center for a concentrated pounding. [DN: food processor if you are lazy]

  3. Drain the potatoes.

  4. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pounded paste and stir-fry until the flecks of garlic are honey-brown and the chiles are throat-constricting pungent, 1 to 2 minutes. (Make sure to use adequate ventilation.)

  5. Add the potatoes and turmeric, and stir-fry to coat the tubers with the yellow spice, about 1 minute.

  6. Pour in the reserved chile water and heat to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

  7. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk the buttermilk and cream together in a small bowl.

  8. When the potatoes are tender, add the buttermilk blend and stir once or twice. Continue to simmer the curry, uncovered, to warm the buttermilk, 2 to 3 minutes. Then serve. [DN: I just add the buttermilk with the heat turned off]

Tip

The cream provides fat, which in turn prevents the buttermilk from curdling when it is heated. The combination mellows the pungent chiles, balancing out the curry. A great example of a chain reaction that helps one and all.