Tempered crunchy fried potatoes with turmeric

Ingredients

For the potatoes

• 500g new potatoes, washed
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ lime

For the temper

• 1 medium red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 green chilli, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp Maldive fish chips, bonito flakes or katsuoboshi (optional)
• 2.5cm piece of pandan leaf (optional)
• 1 tsp chilli powder (or 3 dried red Kashmiri chillies, crushed up in your hands)
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds

Method

Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the turmeric and salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer and cook for 15-20 mins, until the potatoes are just tender enough to insert a fork. Drain well.

In a large frying pan over a high heat, heat the 2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the potatoes. With a fork, gently press down on each potato, breaking the skin and smashing them a bit. You don’t want to break them up, just smush them up a little.

Cook for 2-3 mins and when they are nice and golden brown, turn each potato over. When they are brown on both sides, transfer to a bowl while you make the temper.

Pour 2 tbsp oil into the frying pan. When hot, add the onion and cook until it starts to go translucent. Add the curry leaves, garlic, green chilli, Maldive fish chips and pandan leaf, if using. Stir-fry for 2-3 mins, until the curry leaves are bright green.

Add the chilli powder or dried red chillies, mustard seeds and add a little more oil if necessary to keep everything bright and moving. After 1-2 mins, when the seeds start to pop, return the potatoes to the pan and stir through, coating thoroughly in the spicy mixture. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice.

Image: Alex Lau

Recipe from Rambutan by Cynthia Shanmugalingam (Bloomsbury)