International Day of Potato: Ditch French fries! Follow these 5 easy potato dish recipes

Indian chefs say there are many different treats that people can make with potatoes that are not only innovative but also healthy. Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement

Everybody loves potatoes because they are simply so delicious in so many different forms. While there are many traditional dishes that include potatoes in them, the vegetable has achieved a unique status because of how popular they are in fast food favourites like French fries and nuggets among other dishes.

Every year, International Day of Potato is observed on May 30 to celebrate the delicious tuber but also raise awareness of the multiple nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural values of the potato. While the recipes for classic dishes have long been followed in homes, Gen-Z has also fallen in love with common variations of the vegetable that go beyond the ordinary.

Interestingly, Indian chefs say there are many different treats that people can make with potatoes that are not only innovative but also healthy. They suggest making a French classic as well as other unique dishes that will not only appeal to the Indian palate but also make you fall in love with potatoes all over again.

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Pave
While the classics are always there, chef Siddhesh Nandgaokar at Novotel Mumbai International Airport says you can give them a French twist by make a Sweet Potato and Quinoa Pave; the pave is a flat rectangular dish, sometimes layered. He explains, "The pan-seared sweet potato-quinoa cakes are packed with vegetables and paired with a refreshing herbed yogurt dip to become a vibrant, protein-rich dish that reinvents potatoes with healthy twist along with flavour and creativity."

Ingredients:

For the power cakes:
Mashed sweet potato, steamed or roasted 1 cup
Cooked quinoa 1/2 cup
Grated zucchini squeezed dry 1/4 cup
Chickpea flour or oat flour 2 tbsp
Flaxseed powder 1 tbsp
Green chilli, finely chopped 1 gm
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil (for pan-searing) 1 tbsp

For the herbed yogurt dip:
Thick Greek yogurt 1/2 cup
Chopped mint 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 1/4 of a lemon
Salt to taste

Method:

For the power cakes:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potato, cooked quinoa, grated zucchini, chickpea flour, flaxseed powder, green chilli, cumin powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix well until the mixture binds together. If too wet, add a little more flour.
3. Shape into small rectangular or round cakes (about 2 inches wide).
4. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
5. Pan-sear the cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp.

For the herbed yogurt dip:
1. In a small bowl, mix Greek yogurt, mint, coriander, lemon juice, and salt.
2. Stir well and chill until ready to serve.

Baked sweet potato chaat
Chef Arun Kala, who is the executive chef at Radisson Blu in Karjat, says one of the best ways to celebrate potatoes is by using sweet potatoes to savour on a healthy snack called Baked Sweet Potato Chat. Using the other variety of potatoes that is often limited to particular kinds of dishes, he reminds of how it can be used in Indian street food to enjoy it more often than before. At the property near Mumbai, he says they serve it with a tang of chaat in Hasselback-style.

Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes 2 nos
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder 1/4 tsp
Black salt (Kala namak) to taste
Lemon 1/2
Mint chutney
Tamarind chutney
Papdi crushed
Pomegranate seeds
Coriander and mint chopped

Method:
1. Wash the sweet potatoes and slice them thin not cutting to the edge but leaving the slice intact.
2. Take all the masalas with olive oil with salt to taste, brush over the potatoes inside out.
3. Take the potatoes on a greased baking tray and put them for baking in a pre heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until cooked.
4. Once cooked take the potatoes on a serving dish and top it up with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, chopped mint and coriander, with crushed papdi and pomegranate seeds.

Mashed Pommes with Sausage & Espagnole Sauce
Innovating with potatoes in the Western style, chef Umesh Kumar SS at Niraamaya Wellness Retreats in Kovalam says you can make the Mashed Pommes with Sausage because it is a delicious dish. He explains, "A continental favourite reimagined, Mashed Pommes with Sausage is a wholesome blend of creamy potatoes, hearty sausage, and rich Espagnole sauce." It is a hearty and refined twist on the classic mashed potatoes, which is a classical continental-style breakfast, but can be elevated into more than you know.

Ingredients (Serves 2):
Potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet) 3 medium (approximately 400 gm)
Unsalted butter 2 tbsp
Warm milk 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Black pepper 1/2 tsp
Chicken or pork sausages 4 pieces
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Espagnole sauce 1/2 cup

For Espagnole Sauce (Quick Version):
Butter 1 tbsp
All-purpose flour 1 tbsp
Beef stock 1 cup
Tomato paste 1 tsp
Chopped shallots 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Mashed pommes: Boil potatoes until tender. Peel and mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth.
2. Sausages: Grill or pan-fry sausages with olive oil until golden and cooked through.
3. Espagnole sauce: Sauté shallots in butter, add flour to make a roux, then whisk in beef stock and tomato paste. Simmer until thick.
4. Plating: Scoop mashed potatoes onto a plate, top with sausages, and drizzle generously with warm Espagnole sauce.

Cheesy Potato Skillet
In Bandra Kurla Complex, Parikshit Joshi, the executive chef at Someplace Else, says you can make a Cheesy Potato Skillet, which his tandoori twist on a classic comfort food. He explains, "It is a modern take on Indian cuisine where tandoori aloo is served with an in-house cheddar cheese sauce. This combination is a marriage made in heaven because it has potato and cheese. The baby potatoes are parboiled and then marinated with homemade spices and yogurt. The overnight marination infuses the flavours very well. For the cheese sauce cheddar cheese is melted into a thick creamy consistency. Marinated potatoes are cooked in tandoor till they are charred nicely and served on a bed of cheese sauce. The potatoes are topped with sour cream, some chilli powder and chives."

Ingredients: (Around 4 to 5 portions)
Baby Potato 1 kg
Curd 400 gm
Cheese sauce (Yellow Cheddar) 250 gm
Black salt 40 gm
Deggi chilli Powder 60 gm
Kasoori methi 40 gm
Ginger paste 60 gm
Garlic paste 60 gm
Mustard oil 100 ml
Salt 30 gm
Jeera powder 30 gm
Dhania powder 30 gm
Lemon juice 3 nos
Chaat masala 30 gm
Coriander (fresh) 20 gm
Butter 50 gm
Mozzarella cheese 80 gm

Method:

For the potatoes:
1. Make the marinade using hung curd and spices.
2. Parboil the potatoes with skin on. Once they cool down, peel off the skin.
3. First marinade: Mix salt, deggi chilli powder, and mustard oil. Coat the peeled potatoes and keep them aside for 30 minutes.
4. Now marinate the potatoes again with the hung curd marinade made earlier.
5. Keep the marinated potatoes in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours so the flavor is infused nicely.

For cheese sauce:
1. Grate yellow cheddar and mix with mozzarella cheese.
2. Melt the cheese in a pan and add milk to get the desired consistency.
3. Flavour the cheese sauce with thyme or rosemary (optional).

To assemble:
1. Skewer the marinated potatoes on a tandoor seekh and cook in the tandoor until nicely charred.
2. Arrange the potatoes on top of the cheese sauce and garnish with hung curd and a sprinkle of chilli powder.
3. Garnish each potato with chives.

Crispy Potato Skins
Do you always throw out the potato skins after peeling them? Sainath Kodi, who is the hotel manager at Le Cafe in Jewel of Chembur, will change the way you perceive potato skins with this Crispy Potato Skins recipe. Kodi says, "It's a sustainable take on the potato as it uses the skins of potato that is dipped in a spiced tempura batter and fried till perfectly crispy. People usually throw away their skins but we ensure that every part of the potato is used to deliver its humble goodness."

Ingredients:
Potatoes 200 gm
Chilli flakes 2 gm
Garlic, peeled 10 gm
Coriander leaves (Kothimbir) 2 gm
Whole black pepper 2 gm
Salt 5 gm
Lemon Juice 1 gm
Maida 50 gm
Corn flour 40 gm
Garlic aioli 55 gm
Capsico aauce, 2 ml (60 gm)
Sunflower oil 150 ml

Method:
1. Peel and slice the potatoes into thin skins.
2. Mix maida and corn flour, then coat the potato skins in this mixture.
3. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and deep-fry the coated potato skins until golden and crispy.
4. In a separate pan, sauté garlic, black pepper, and chilly flakes.
5. Add the fried potato skins, toss with salt and lemon juice.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
7. Serve with garlic aioli and a drizzle of capsico sauce for a spicy kick.