Lasaniya Batakaલસણીયા બટાકા
Lasaniya bataka is what every Kathiyawadi dhaba is known for: baby potatoes tossed in a fiery paste of garlic and red chilli, glossy with oil. Serve with bajra rotla, raw onion and a glass of buttermilk.
Ingredients
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- 500 g baby potatoes, boiled
- 10-12 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder, ½ tsp turmeric, a pinch of garam masala
- 4 tbsp oil
- Cumin, asafoetida, salt
- Coriander and spring onion to finish
Method
- Peel the boiled potatoes and press each lightly with a fork so the masala soaks in.
- Crush the garlic coarsely.
- Heat oil, add cumin and asafoetida, then fry the garlic until golden.
- Add the spice powders with a splash of water and cook a minute so the chilli does not burn.
- Add the potatoes and toss on low heat for 8-10 minutes until well coated.
- Finish with coriander and serve with bajra rotla.
Tips
- Kashmiri chilli gives colour; add a little hot chilli separately for heat.
- This is not a low-oil dish. Cutting the oil badly changes the result.
- Pressing the potatoes with a fork lets the masala get inside.
Storing and reheating
They keep two days in the fridge and the garlic tastes more settled on the second day. Oil rising to the top once cold is normal; just stir it back in. Reheat covered on low in a pan with a splash of water. Do not freeze them, as boiled potato turns grainy and crumbles.
What you can swap
- No baby potatoes? Cut large ones into big chunks, but boil them a little less so they do not break up in the pan.
- No Kashmiri chilli? Use a teaspoon of paprika with half a teaspoon of ordinary chilli powder to keep both the colour and the heat.
- Short of time, two tablespoons of ready garlic paste will do, though you lose the texture that coarsely crushed garlic gives.
- In winter, when green garlic is around, use half dry and half green. That is when the Kathiyawadi flavour really comes through.
What to serve with it
This is the signature of a Kathiyawadi thali: bajra rotla with a lump of white butter or jaggery, raw onion and a glass of chaas. Many homes also put it beside dal and rice, and leftovers get eaten with rotla the next morning.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not over-boil the potatoes. A fork should just go in; any softer and they break down into mash in the pan.
- Do not let the garlic go dark brown. Burnt garlic makes the whole dish bitter, so add the spices the moment it turns golden.
- Do not put the spice powders into smoking oil. Lower the flame and sprinkle in a little water first.
- Do not add much water. This is a dry, heavily coated sabzi; turn it into a gravy and the flavour thins out.
Questions people ask
Why does my lasaniya bataka taste bitter?
Burnt garlic or burnt chilli powder. Fry the garlic only until golden, and when the chilli goes in lower the flame and sprinkle a little water. That stops it scorching and brings the colour out instead.
Can I make it without boiling the potatoes?
Yes. Fry whole baby potatoes with their skins on in oil over low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes, then toss them into the masala. The flavour is deeper, but it takes more time and much more oil.
How do I keep the colour red but the heat low?
Use the full measure of Kashmiri chilli and leave out the hot chilli entirely; Kashmiri gives colour rather than heat. You can halve the garlic too, but then it stops being lasaniya bataka.
