Five Seed Roasted Potatoes

This fabulous twist on roasted potatoes generously comes to us from chef Jerry Traunfeld of the late restaurant, Poppy, here in Seattle. The spice mix is a version of Bengali Five Spice, a.k.a. Panch Phoron, using ajwain seed in place of fennel. I made this for a celebratory Sunday evening feast after enjoying the sunny afternoon harvesting potatoes. Lots of love went into growing our potatoes this year, and it was a joy to toss them with this exquisite mixture. Thanks, Jerry!

Ingredients

2 lb. small potatoes fingerling, red or yukon gold
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seed
1 teaspoon Cumin Seed
1 teaspoon Nigella Seed
1/2 teaspoon Ajwain
1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Seed
1 teaspoon Murray River Flake Salt

Directions

Parboil whole potatoes until just tender, drain and slice in halves.

In a small heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the fenugreek seeds and toast for a minute or two. Then add remaining seeds and toast for a few minutes more until all are browned.

Toss toasted seeds and oil with potatoes, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and roast on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and serve.

These flavorful potatoes make a lovely side dish alongside roasted meats, breakfast eggs or just about anything!

Tags: Ajwain Cumin Easy Fenugreek Seeds Indian Murray River Flake Salt Mustard Seeds Nigella Potatoes Side Dish