Potato in a Chinese avatar

Pushpesh Pant

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We grudgingly concede that our beloved potato isn't the child of this soil. It was, according to historians, brought to the India from Andes by the Portuguese a little over 500 years ago. Once considered food fit enough for princes, it has, since, become the poor man's staple. With prices sky rocketing, it has, in recent days, begun to rival onions as a precious commodity. But we digress. The Portuguese took it with them farther east to China where it was treated 'differently'. One of the very few purely vegetarian recipes in the Chinese repertoire is honey sesame chilly potatoes. To be honest, it tastes very good though some unused to its sweet and sour taste are inhibited from making a part of their regular diet. Our young friend Bishan Singh Tanwal, who runs a small hotel in Ranikhet, offers this to Bengali tourists as an option to aloo bhaja and has many repeat orders. This easy to cook recipe has great potential. Do try it out.

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes (large) 250g

Garlic (chopped fine, optional) 4 cloves 

Onion (medium sized, chopped fine, optional)1

Chilli flakes 1 tsp

Honey 2 tbsp

Sugar 2 tsp

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Red chilli sauce 1 tsp

Sesame seeds 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil to fry 1 cup

Method: Peal and wash potatoes. Cut into thick wedges. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan and deep fry potatoes till just done. Remove and keep aside on kitchen towels to remove excess fat. Take about 1/4 cup of heated oil and stir-fry garlic and onion, if using. Otherwise prepare sauce by blending chilly sauce, vinegar and honey and sugar and salt, stirring well and ensuring that the ingredients don't scald. Add potatoes and sesame seeds along with chilly flakes. Mix well and cook for a minute. Serve hot. Absolutely finger licking substitute for jeera aloo!