Why it works
- Sauteing spices in hot oil intensifies their flavors, resulting in a delicious gratin.
- Cooking the flour and butter together helps to eliminate the raw taste of the flour, and prevents the cheesy marne chutney from becoming lumpy.
I grew up in Pakistan, and the family’s favorite dish was aloo ki bhojiya, a dish of potatoes fried with spices and tomatoes. My mother was always quick to turn to this minimal-effort dish as a choice for feeding our family of six, and we often served meat-heavy dishes like aloo gosh (meat and potato curry) and Lentils (lentils) were enjoyed as meat. with a goat). In India, aloo ki bhajiya refers to a spiced mixture of gram flour and boiled potatoes tossed in rice and fried until crisp. However, west of the border in Pakistan, aloo ki bhojiya is a silky smooth baked potato dish that is eaten as a meal or alongside a large spread. Today, that dish—with tomato gravy, plenty of heat from Kashmiri chili powder, and earthiness from cumin—remains a staple in my own household.
Recently, I was inspired to add some of the potato bhojia flavors to a gratin. Stuffed with cheese, tomatoes and seasoned with cumin, cayenne, turmeric, chili powder, and smoked paprika, this spicy potato bhajiya has all the traditional ingredients but with the creaminess of a gratin. I start by sauteing onion and garlic with spices, add diced potatoes and tomatoes, then simmer until the spuds are soft. While it cooks, I prepare the Marne cheese sauce that serves as the base for the gratin. Tossed with potatoes and baked, gratin is a hearty, comforting dish that’s homey enough for a weeknight meal but impressive enough for a dinner party. Here’s how to make it.
How to make a delicious spicy potato gratin
Reach for good Gruyère.. As with most gratins, the flavor of this dish will be determined by the quality of your dairy. I recommend using a good quality Gruyère, which has a pleasant nuttiness that pairs well with spices. It also melts easily, making it a great cheese to use in a gratin.
Go hard on the spices. For a dish that truly evokes aloo ki bhujiya, I use all the same spices I use to prepare a traditional Pakistani dish: cumin, cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder. , and smoked paprika. I add spices while frying the onion and garlic, allowing the flavors to open and blend into the hot oil. As Serious Eats contributor Nick Sharma wrote in his recipe. TadkaHeat can “transform some of the flavor molecules in spices into new, delicious ones,” resulting in “an enhanced sensory experience that would not otherwise be achieved in the absence of heat.”
Be gentle with the potatoes. Use a light hand when you add the potatoes and pour in the cheese sauce. Since the potatoes are partially cooked at this point, handling them too aggressively can result in mashed potatoes, which, while delicious, are not gratins.
Broil until crisp — but keep an eye on the gratin. One of the best parts of a gratin is the crispy golden brown topping. A short time under the broiler makes this easier to achieve, but it’s important to keep an eye on the gratin, as broilers can vary in power and your gratin can go from surprisingly brown to burnt quickly. can go to
It’s not my childhood potato bhaji, but it’s a fun, savory riff that reminds me of home and the food I grew up on — even when I’m far away.
A hearty, comforting potato dish is coming to us until January.
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- 1 Tablespoon (15Milliliter) neutral The oilsuch as vegetables or canola
- 1 small Yellow onion (About 4 Ounce; 113Yes), finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 medium Clove garlic (10 g), minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt; Use half the volume for table salt.
- 3 medium Russet potatoes (1 3/4 Pound; 800Yes), peel and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
- 4 big cooked Plum tomatoes (454Yes; 16 Ounce), cut into 1-inch pieces.
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted butter (1/2 Ounce; 14Yes)
- 1 Tablespoon (8Yes) All purpose flour
- 1 Cup (240Milliliter) whole milk
- 4 Ounce Gruyere (120Yes; about 1 1/2 Cup), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
In a 12-inch cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add the onion and cumin and cook, stirring often, until the onion softens and begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cayenne, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Serious Eats / Daily Studios Add the potatoes and toss to coat evenly in the spices, taking care to separate any slices that are sticking together. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring halfway through, until tomatoes are tender and potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; Keep aside
Serious Eats / Daily Studios In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, until mixture begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese, letting it melt slightly, about 1 minute. Add cheese mixture to potatoes, tossing gently to coat evenly. Transfer to an 8-by-8-inch baking dish and gently press the potatoes into an even layer, then cover tightly with foil.
Serious Eats / Daily Studios Set the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are tender and the tomatoes are firm, about 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake until gratin is browned and sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the oven broiler to high and return the gratin to the oven. Cook until golden brown and crisp on top, 5 to 7 minutes. (Watch the gratin closely because broilers vary greatly in power and can burn food quickly without attention.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serious Eats / Daily Studios
Special equipment
12 inches Cast iron or Stainless steel skillet8- by 8-inch baking dish
Build ahead and store
The gratin can be prepared the day before using step 4. Let cool, cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, proceed with step 5 of the recipe.
The finished gratin and leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in an ovenproof dish at 400ºF (205ºC), about 10 minutes.