Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Bombay Breakfast Potatoes – Just Exotic Enough

I like to think of myself as a fairly adventurous eater, but when it comes to breakfast, I usually fall into the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” school of thought, and home fries are a perfect example. I mean, what improvement can you possibly make to perfectly pan-fried, crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle breakfast potatoes?

Maybe this is just semantics, since these Bombay breakfast potatoes aren’t really supposed to be an improvement, but rather a slightly more exotic change of pace. In any event, they were absolutely delicious, and while definitely different than your average diner fare, they managed to retain an acceptable degree of comforting familiarity. And for that, I will mostly credit the texture.

Like I said in the video, even if you don’t plan on using the Indian-inspired spicing, you’ll want to pay attention to the cook-first, fry-later approach. While it does take a little bit of planning ahead, the pay off is substantial. By boiling first, and then thoroughly chilling before you panfry, the starches on the surface “gelatinize,” which makes all that irresistible crispiness possible.

Above and beyond the textural advantages, by prepping the potatoes the night before, you’re making things pretty easy for yourself the next morning. Just toss them into the hot pan, and by the time your eggs are cracked, beaten, and scrambled, your home fries should be just about done. So, no matter how you season yours, I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

Spice mix:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 large russet potatoes, cut in 16ths, cooked in well-salted water
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup green onions
1/4 cup diced hot and/or sweet peppers
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
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19 comments:

Lin Sherman said...

Can I substitute ghee instead of the oil/butter mix?

Ted B. said...

Hmmm... I seeing Old Bay seasoning as an alternate.

Charlene said...

That's, like, one portion. Looks good and I'll be trying it tomorrow morning!

Cristian said...

Any idea what a large russet potato weight is roughly?

Cristian said...

Any idea what a large russet potato weight is?

Unknown said...

Chef John,

Why not just cut the potatoes into really small pieces in the beginning and boil them for less time? Instead of boiling them and cutting them again?

Big Al said...

When I think of Bombay I always think garam masala. I reduced the cumin and coriander by 1/2 tsp each and added 1 tsp of garam masala. WHOW very good

Big Al said...

When I think of Bombay I always think garam masala. I reduced the cumin and coriander by 1/2 tsp each and added 1 tsp of garam masala. WHOW very good

John said...

Dear Chef John,

In this recipe you cook the potatoes in 1/16ths and then half after cooking before crisping. Is there some rationale for halving to 1/32nds later?

Many thanks for so many great meals and lessons over the years.

Zippity said...

I'm cooking mine as I type :)

Zippity said...

I am cooking some for dinner tonight :)

icouch said...

Why do you wrap the potatoes in the fridge? I assume uncovered would make for a crispier result.

S/V Blondie-Dog said...

Greetings Chef! I'll has ya' knows 'dat I done cooked me up some "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" taters! Will I cook 'em up again? Doubful. 'Dat combination of seasonings just ain't what I be craving for early in the morning. At least I put a dent in my 10 lb. bag of taters 'dat I done bought on sale. Thanks! You're still 'da best!

Unknown said...

Chef John: "some ground cumin, some ground coriander, some turmeric and then last but never least, some cayenne"

2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mark said...

Yum. They go very well with a curry. Thank you

CaseyRocky said...

I did half on the non-stick stove top, and half on the cast iron in the oven at 425F. Cast iron won - done faster and crispier.

Zippity said...

I have made this dish, twice now. It is a winner!

James Valvis said...

Video is wrong, Chef.

Nesnes said...

I made this last night and it was amazing.