INDIAN INSPIRED POTATO SALAD with RAITA

I took a bit of a risk cooking this dish with the Indian ground spice Garam Masala, as I had never tasted this seasoning before. I picked up this spice from the lovely Davies Park Farmers Markets in West End a few months ago for $1.50. Yesterday afternoon I was searching my spice rack for something new and stumbled upon this beauty. This particular blend of garam masala contained fennel seeds, cinnamon quills, caraway seeds, black pepper, cloves and cardamom seeds. I decided to add it to sweet potato and chat potato to create my own version of an Indian-inspired salad. The flavour of the spice was sweet yet contained a smoky quality. It worked wonderfully with the tomato, baby spinach, red onion and pine nuts. The easy-to-prepare homemade raita is a handy low-fat alternative to using a full-fat dressing, such as coconut milk. 

INGREDIENTS


POTATO SALAD

• 400g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 400g chat potato, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 small red onion (60-80g), chopped finely
• TIP- if you place the chopped red onion in cold water for around 10 minutes, the onion will lose some of its sharp bite. 
• 3 medium tomatoes, sliced into thin wedges
• a handful of baby spinach leaves 
• Optional- 2 tablespoons pine nuts 
• Optional- 1-2 tablespoons fresh coriander, roughly chopped 

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line an oven tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine both potatoes, olive oil and both spices in a large bowl. Toss well to combine. Place covered potatoes in a single file on baking tray. Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

3. Combine cooked potatoes, red onion, tomatoes, baby spinach in a large serving bowl. Add pine nuts and coriander if you wish (I did!). 

RAITA

• 1 medium lebanese cucumber, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup natural yogurt, 99 % fat free
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

COOKING 

1. Combine all ingredients in a small to medium bowl and mix well to combine. Serve on top of the potato salad or on the side. 

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