New Potatoes with Peas & Coriander

This is aloo matar’s less-saucy cousin. Diced new potatoes get cooked in ghee with cumin seeds, turmeric, fresh ginger, and red chili peppers until tender, then the water is boiled off at the end so you’re left with dry, spice-coated potatoes instead of a wet curry. Green peas go in right at the finish so they stay bright and pop between your teeth.

Toasting the cumin seeds in hot ghee before adding the potatoes is how you build the flavor foundation for this Indian side dish. The seeds crackle and release their oils into the fat, and everything cooked after picks up that toasted, earthy flavor.

The coriander does double duty here: ground coriander seeds for warmth and fresh coriander leaves for brightness. Both go in at different stages, which layers the herbaceous flavor instead of dropping it all at once.

Pro Tips

• Dice the potatoes into uniform pieces so they cook evenly. Uneven pieces mean some are mushy while others are still crunchy.
• Watch the water level during simmering. You want just enough to steam the potatoes through, not flood them.
• Add the peas in the last two minutes only. Overcooking turns them army-green and mushy.
• The lemon juice goes in during the simmer, not at the end. It tenderizes the potatoes slightly and balances the richness of the ghee.

Variations

• Swap ghee for coconut oil for a vegan version with a slightly tropical undertone.
• Add a diced tomato with the water for a saucier dish.
• Toss in cauliflower florets with the potatoes for an aloo gobi matar combination.