Potatoes au gratin

Every time I go to Cascal, a tapas place on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View I end up ordering the Potato Gratin and Sizzling Shrimp and each time I fall in love with the dishes all over again. And that led me to try the potato gratin at home which tasted great but the one at Cascal has a more rich and creamy texture. I have plans on trying the Sizzling Shrimp in the near future. Btw, if you are there at Cascal do not miss out on their Sangria. And if it’s a Friday or a Saturday you’ll love the live music (starts at 9.00 pm) for sure.

Ingredients:
Russet potatoes – 2 large (peeled and grated)
Half-and-half – 1 cup (you can use heavy cream for a richer, creamier taste)
Garlic – 1 (finely chopped)
Grated parmesan cheese – ½ cup (more, if you like)
Grated gruyere cheese – ¾ cup
Salt & Pepper – to taste

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small sauce pan bring the half-and-half and garlic to a simmer.

Arrange a layer of the grated potatoes in a greased casserole or oven proof dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour a little of the half-and-half and garlic mixture over the potatoes. Lightly top with grated parmesan and gruyere cheese. Repeat the process until all the potatoes are used. Press the layers firmly. For the topmost layer be generous with the cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes until the cheese forms a golden crust on top and the potatoes are cooked through.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Alu Bhaja -- Fried Potatoes

For a backstory see Mastering the art of alu bhaja

Ingredients:
Potatoes – 5-6 (peeled and cut into long strips)
Onion – 1 large (thinly sliced)
Green chili – 3-4 (you can use more or less)
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – for frying

Procedure:
Wash the potatoes in cold water and drain thoroughly.

Add a teaspoon of turmeric and season with salt. Toss the potatoes to coat well and put in a colander. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a pan with enough oil for frying the potatoes.

When the oil starts to ripple add the potatoes.

Turn the potatoes every now and then so that they don’t stick to the bottom. If they start sticking add a little oil.

When they are done halfway make a hollow in the middle of the pan.

Add a tbsp of oil and then throw in the onion and the green chili. Fry it for 2 minutes in the hollowed out space.

Then mix the onions with the potatoes and keep frying, turning very frequently. Be
careful not to break them.

Keep frying until the potatoes are fully cooked and the edges start to turn brown.
Remove from heat and serve.


Enjoy with rice and lentils or roti/ luchi/paratha. You can even have this as an evening snack with muri (puffed rice).

Note: You can garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Looks nice as well as gives a fresh taste.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

After a few trials finally got this dish right. Initially tried doing this with russet brown potatoes but didn’t work out too well. After all the experiments finally decided that the Yukon golds are the best for the job.

Ingredients:
Yukon gold potatoes – 10-12
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Garlic (chopped) – 2 cloves
Jalapeno (chopped) -- 2
Salt – to taste

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 425F. Make sure your oven is clean inside.

Cut the potatoes into quarters. Wash and pat dry.

In a large bowl mix oil, garlic, jalapeno, potatoes and salt until well coated.

Spread out the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet or a roasting pan.

Put it in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

You can also use Italian seasoning instead of garlic and jalapeno.