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Batata Harra

An Arab way.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound waxy new potatoes
Salt
3–4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 or 2 chilies, chopped, or a good pinch of chili flakes
3–4 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, then peel and cut into slices or quarters. In a skillet, heat the oil, add the garlic, chilies or chili flakes, and potatoes, and sauté, turning the potatoes over and sprinkling on a little salt, until crisp and golden.

    Step 2

    Add the cilantro or parsley and stir.

  2. Variation

    Step 3

    For a spiced new-potatoes dish: Put 1 pound baby potatoes, unpeeled and washed, in a saucepan with 2–3 tablespoons olive oil and 5 whole peeled garlic cloves. Only just cover with water. Add salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, a pinch of dried red-pepper flakes or 1 or 2 small chili peppers, 1/2–3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/2–3/4 teaspoon coriander. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender. Reduce the liquid over high heat at the end, and stir in 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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