Recipe for Pan Roasted Baby Potatoes with herbs, garlic and sesame seeds
If you are someone who shares food posts on social media, I’m going to share a big secret with you….
POTATOES!
There’s something about potatoes that hits the right chord with everyone (gets everyone salivating, liking, sharing).
If it’s baby potatoes, even more so.
1️⃣ A potato recipe is the highest pinned and most visited page on my blog.
2️⃣ A photo of baby potatoes in the pan, made with bare minimum ingredients in my makeshift Mumbai kitchen, clicked most carelessly on the balcony floor got over a 1000 likes in a couple of hours, which is a BIG BIG deal for my account.
3️⃣ This simple thaali with a baby potato dish also met with a similar fate on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
4️⃣ Yesterday when I made these pan-roasted baby potatoes and clicked a stovetop pic under the hob lights and tweeted it out, I surely wasn’t expected over a 1000 likes for the pic.
This just proves my theory right.
Potato lovers unite! 🥔❤️ pic.twitter.com/QRS6qxClDA
— Nandita Iyer (@saffrontrail) July 12, 2020
Potatoes have a universal appeal, evoking feelings of comfort, home cooking and carby deliciousness. Moreover, potatoes are accessible to all, and one of the most non-intimidating vegetables to cook with.
No wonder, I kicked off my column in Mint Lounge in Aug 2018 with this most loved ingredient – Potatoes
So, try this out next time, you want to get a boost in engagement on your social media.
Post a pic of a potato dish and tell me if it worked or not. It just will.
Buying baby potatoes
If you have an option to pick them yourself then choose potatoes of a similar size so they cook at the same time. I like to choose the smaller sized ones (even baby potatoes come in slightly bigger sizes), so that I can keep them whole.
Cooking baby potatoes
To cook baby potatoes, I prefer the pressure cooking method. The most important thing to remember here is that do not let the potatoes sit in water. Fill the cooker with required water and keep potatoes in another vessel that fits in the cooker. This way they end up steaming and not boiling, thereby not turning soggy.
The flavours
Potatoes, garlic and herbs are a most delicious combination. Add to that the toasty flavour and texture of sesame seeds, and it turns even more irresistible. No dish is complete with a touch of sour flavour, for which I have added sumac. Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice instead.
If you have a mix of fresh herbs, then use that by all means. Do remember that you need nearly 3 times the quantity of fresh herbs (3 tbsp fresh rosemary=1 tbsp dried rosemary) for as much flavour.
To add a bigger flavour punch, use Amul Garlic and Herbs buttery spread (India) instead of oil. Not a sponsored plug at all, just letting you know that this works wonders 🙂
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| Prep Time | 15 min |
| Cook Time | 15 min |
| Passive Time | 15 min |
| Servings | servings |
- 500 grams baby potatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp rock salt coarse
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 8 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tsp white sesame seeds
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sumac
Ingredients
| |
- Pressure cook potatoes for 4 minutes [i.e. after first whistle, reduce flame to minimum and cook for another 4 minutes.] Open the cooker once pressure subsides. Remove potatoes onto a dish and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Peel the potatoes.
- Using a mortar pestle, crush the dried herbs along with salt to a coarse powder.
- In a pan, (cast iron works best), heat oil. Add the chopped garlic and saute on low flame for a minute.
- Transfer the herb-salt mixture, sesame seeds and sumac. Stir into the oil to combine well.
- Add the peeled potatoes to the pan and toss to coat evenly with the seasoned oil.
- Let this cook on a low flame for 15-20 minutes, giving it a shake 2-3 times in-between. We want the potatoes to be crusted with the herb-seed mixture as well as turn crispy and golden on the outside.
- Serve hot as a starter or for a light meal along with a salad.
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