These spicy sesame potatoes are very versatile and can be served with roast meat or salad, or just chutney and chapati. At home, til wale aloo was made with small, oval potatoes that were usually left whole. They were often misshapen and I remember Jameila, one of our staff, triumphantly pouring out these small potatoes from her jute shopping bag, as she would usually get them for free from the sabzi wallah, the vegetable vendor in the market. The vendor would have struggled to sell such small, odd-shaped potatoes, so Jameila would get them to make staff lunch and would send a bowl for us to eat, too. I tried using early new potatoes when I moved to England and they worked beautifully.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'Ammu' by Asma Khan. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2022.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

　　1 lb. (500 g) new potatoes or fingerlings

　　3–5 whole dried red chiles

　　1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

　　1 tsp. sesame seeds

　　1⁄2 tsp. ground turmeric

　　1 tsp. salt, plus a pinch for the cooking water

　　

Step 1

Wash the potatoes to remove all the dirt, but leave the skins on. Depending on the size of the potatoes, leave them whole or cut them into halves or quarters, so they are all roughly the same size. Parboil them in a pot of water and add a generous pinch of salt to the water. Do not let the potatoes cook all the way through. Drain the potatoes and spread on a plate so they cool quickly. 

　　

Step 2

If you want a spicy dish, break the dried chiles in half. If you want the flavor of the chiles without the added heat, leave the chiles whole and use only three.

　　

Step 3

Once the potatoes have cooled, heat the oil in a large deep pan over high heat. Add the sesame seeds and dried chiles, then immediately reduce the heat, since you do not want the seeds and chiles to burn. Add the turmeric, then add the potatoes and stir for a few minutes. Add the salt. To prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan add a splash of water and keep stirring. The potatoes should take on a golden shade.

　　

Step 4

Taste and adjust the seasoning and check that the potatoes are cooked through before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking to Nourish Your Soul by Asma Khan. Copyright © 2022. Published by Interlink Books. Buy the full book from Simon & Schuster or Amazon.