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–+ servings

Mild Potato Curry

(Ala Kiri Hodhi)
This is a mild Sri Lankan curry dish, typically eaten as a side dish with a meat main and several other vegetable curries. Pour a spoon of the gravy over your rice to infuse the rice with the rich coconut-based flavor. It also works well with various roti and even with bread.
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Servings: 12
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: South Asian - Sri Lankan
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg Potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes (~2 lbs)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 5 tbsp Oil peanut, sunflower, canola, coconut or olive
Spice group 1
  • 2 sprigs Curry leaves about 20 leaves
  • 2 inch Pandanus leaf fresh or dry, in 1-inch segments
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick separate layers when adding
  • 5 pods Cardamom bruised with flat surface of knife
  • ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 4 cloves Garlic sliced thin
Spice group 2
  • 2-3 pods Green chilie split lengthways and remove the seed and membrane for an even milder curry
  • 1 large Onion (or 2 medium onions) halved and sliced thin
  • 2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Black mustard seed
The Gravy
  • 6 tbsp Coconut milk powder mixed with 3 cups water
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • 12" clay pot (or a medium-large saucepan) with lid
  • Large frying pan

Method
 

Pre-cook potatoes
  1. Put the cubed potatoes in a large frying pan and cover with water just to the top of the potatoes. Add salt and 1 tablespoon of the oil.
  2. Bring to a boil at high heat. Then reduce the heat to low or medium low until you achieve a slow simmer. Do not cover. Occasionally stir very lightly.
  3. When the water boils down or the potatoes are just turning fork-soft turn the heat off and discard any remaining water. Do not over cook the potatoes - they will be cooked more in a later step.
  4. Remove potatoes from the frying pan - be careful to not take any of the oil and salt residue from the pan. Set potatoes aside.
Prepare the base
  1. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil to the clay pot (if you have one) or saucepan and heat on high heat until the oil is hot. Add Spice group 1, reduce heat to medium, and temper for 2 minutes while stiring.
  2. Add Spice group 2 to the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and temper for a further 3 - 5 minutes.
Combine
  1. Add the potatoes to the base in the pot and stir carefully - do not break or mash the potatoes - until the potatoes are coated with the curry base.
  2. Add the coconut milk to the potatoes, stir, and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low so the curry is cooking at a low simmer.
  3. Add salt to taste, if needed.
  4. Cover and let potatoes simmer for 3 - 4 minutes then remove from heat. If you are not ready to serve immediately transfer the mild potato curry to an oven-proof dish. The curry can be reheated in the oven prior to serving.

Notes

You could simplify this dish by cooking the potatoes in coconut milk after combining all the ingredients. Coconut milk will not curdle so this will work fine but because of the different cooking rates for different potato varieties I find it easier to not over/under cook potatoes if they are done in this separate step.
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