Smashed Curried Cilantro Potatoes
After a cooking slump, I finally had inspiration the other night. There was leftover curried roasted chicken in the fridge, and it demanded a side that could stand up to the flavour. I love potatoes and wish that they could be a component of every meal, but it’s been a while since I actually featured them as a side dish. These smashed potatoes are reminiscent of Trio’s fantastic potato wedges (if you’re in Ottawa, give Trio a visit – all their food is excellent and their cocktails are delicious). We’d just returned from a trip to Anguilla, and had some wonderful curry powder from the Island Spice and Tea Shop begging to be used. I tossed the potatoes with a butter-curry powder mixture after boiling and then roasted them for a crisp, french fry-like texture. While the flesh of the potatoes was quite creamy in texture, they seemed to demand a little something extra, so I made a chipotle-curry-lemon yogurt dip to accompany them.
Smashed Curried Cilantro Potatoes
1 kg baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp curry powder
2 generous pinches kosher salt
a few grinds of black pepper
a handful of cilantro, rinsed well and spun dry
Add potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.
While waiting for water to boil, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the curry powder into the melted butter. Place a clean, lint-free dishtowel on the counter.
Boil the potatoes for about 13 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and immediately transfer potatoes to the clean dishtowel. With another clean dishtowel, press firmly but gently on potatoes until they burst. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Toss with butter-curry powder mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle cilantro over the potatoes.
Roast potatoes for about 40 minutes, or until golden and crispy and very fragrant.
Note: Add more flavour by stirring finely grated lemon zest into the butter-curry powder mixture.
While potatoes are roasting, you can make the yogurt dip:
Chipotle-Curry-Lemon yogurt dip
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 chipotle, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp freshly grated lemon rind
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and serve alongside the potatoes.
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