Panchphoran Aloo (Potatoes in Whole Spices)

I’ve been cooking Sameen Rushdie’s Panchphoran Aloo — as these are properly called — ever since her wonderful book, Indian Cookery, was first published in 1988 and, indeed, I wrote about them in my first book, How to Eat, published 10 years after. In other words, they’re a constant in my life, and once you make them, you will see why. I’m afraid I mostly cook them not in the context of an actual Indian meal, but to accompany fried eggs for brunch at weekends, or to give pep to leftovers in the week or whenever; they’re also a must for my Christmas cold cuts, though we don’t need to think about that right now! You can buy this particular mix of whole spices — panchphoran — ready mixed, though I just rummage through my very messy spice drawer gathering what I need, as I just wouldn’t let myself be without the wherewithal to make this on a greedy whim. For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet