Spicy Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1.800 gram potatoes, boiled in jackets until firm; cooled 3–4 hours; peeled and sliced fairly thickly
• 2.vegetable oil and butter, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil + 80 g butter; combined in large frying pan
• 3.10 millilitre cumin seeds, whole
• 4.10 millilitre black mustard seeds, whole
• 5.30 millilitre sesame seeds, whole
• 6.2.5 millilitre salt, to taste
• 7.cayenne pepper, ⅛–¼ teaspoon to taste
• 8.15 millilitre lemon juice, 1 tablespoon

Method

1. 1.Boil the potatoes in their jackets until just firm. Drain and cool for 3–4 hours. Peel the potatoes and slice fairly thickly.
2. 2.Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium flame.
3. 3.When the oil and butter are very hot, put in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and sesame seeds.
4. 4.As soon as the seeds begin to pop (this takes just a few seconds), put in the potatoes.
5. 5.Stir-fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes.
6. 6.Add the salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice.
7. 7.Stir-fry for another 5–10 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

• The key technique: add potatoes to the hot seeds the moment they start popping — they toast the exterior and infuse spice flavour.
• Cooling the boiled potatoes for several hours before frying helps them keep their shape.