Delight your palate with the exotic flavors of Sri Lankan Tempered Potatoes. Known as 'Ala Thel Dala,' this dish masterfully combines golden-baked potato cubes with a tempering of caramelized red onions, fragrant mustard seeds, vibrant curry leaves, and green chilies, all laced with a rich array of spices. Perfect as a side dish or the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal, it's a delicious journey into the spices of Sri Lankan cuisine.
Ingredients
🥔 500 grams potatoes, peeled and diced
🧅 2.5 large red onions, thinly sliced
🌿 5 sprigs curry leaves
🌶️ 4 green chilies, cut lengthwise
🧂 1.5 teaspoons salt 1 tsp for potatoes, 0.5 tsp for final seasoning
🌿 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
🌱 1.5 teaspoons mustard seeds
🌿 5 cardamom pods
🌿 6 whole cloves
🌶️ 1.5 teaspoons chili flakes crushed red chilies
🧂 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
🫒 Olive oil enough to coat potatoes for baking, and 7-8 tablespoons for tempering
🍬 0.5 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
1- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your ILVE oven to 200°C (392°F).
2- Prepare the Potatoes:
- Peel and dice 500 grams of potatoes into 1-inch cubes using a white plastic potato peeler and a knife with a silver blade and black handle.
3- Season Potatoes:
- In a stainless steel mixing bowl, season the potatoes with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper, and sufficient olive oil from a glass oil dispenser with a metal spout to coat them well.
4- Add Turmeric Powder:
- Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and mix thoroughly until each cube is evenly coated.
5- Bake the Potatoes:
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined metal baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
6- Crush Spices:
- Crush the cardamom pods and cloves using a white ceramic mortar and pestle.
7- Heat Oil:
- In a non-stick pot on a stainless steel gas stovetop, heat 7-8 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat using a wooden spoon or spatula to stir.
8- Add Mustard Seeds:
- Add mustard seeds and wait until they start to splutter.
9- Add Curry Leaves:
- Stir in the curry leaves briefly.
10- Cook Onions:
- Add the sliced red onions, cover and cook until translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
11- Caramelize Onions:
- Uncover and continue cooking until the onions caramelize to a reddish-brown.
12- Add Aromatics:
- Add crushed cardamom and cloves, and green chilies, stirring together.
13- Add Chili Flakes:
- Sprinkle in chili flakes and cook until the chilies are tender.
14- Incorporate Baked Potatoes:
- Incorporate the baked potatoes into the pot and gently mix with the tempered ingredients.
15- Simmer the Dish:
- Cover and simmer on low heat for another 1-2 minutes.
16- Final Seasoning:
- Uncover, season with 0.5 teaspoon of salt and 0.5 teaspoon of sugar, and stir thoroughly.
17- Serve the Dish:
- Serve hot in a gray/beige ceramic serving bowl using a stainless steel fork.
Prep Time: About 30-35 minutes
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
Total Time: 55-70 minutes
Servings: Serves 4 as a side
Equipment:
- ILVE oven
- White plastic potato peeler
- Cutting board wooden
- Knife silver blade, black handle
- Mixing bowl stainless steel
- Baking tray metal, with parchment paper
- Gas stovetop stainless steel
- Non-stick pot dark speckled
- Glass oil dispenser
- White ceramic mortar and pestle
- Wooden spoon/spatula dark wood
- Serving bowl gray/beige ceramic
- Fork stainless steel
Cooking Tips
- Bake potatoes to retain texture without becoming mushy.
- Be gentle when mixing to prevent breaking the potato cubes.
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Spice In You: https://www.youtube.com/@SpiceInYou