Potato Vindaloo…A First (Maybe Last?) Try

I bought some pre-combined vindaloo spice powder at Kalustyan's in New York a few months back, but have been a little stumped about how best to use it in my vegetarian cooking.  I finally decided that I can't make the perfect the enemy of the good, and endeavored to use the spices with some russet potatoes.  The end result was just ok — it was a little bland for my tastes (others who are new to Indian cooking will probably find it to have a good level of flavor) and I don't think the potatoes really absorbed the full flavor of the spices.  I think maybe I need to use a porous vegetable that will break down during cooking and better absorb the flavor of the powder, and to make it more of a curry than a dry dish like the potato vindaloo had turned out.  But for those who like potatoes and want a new variation on a potato dish, the recipe I put together is below the picture:

Recipe

• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch segments
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 dried red chili peppers (available at Indian grocery stores)
• 4 tbsps chopped onion
• 1 heaping tbsp vindaloo powder
• 1 – 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

• Heat vegetable oil on medium to high heat, and when heated, add garlic, dried red chili peppers and vindaloo powder
• After one minute, or after garlic becomes fragrant, add the onion and stir, cooking for another 3 minutes
• Add the potato, and stir to coat the potatoes with the spice mixture
• After coated, add 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan to cook the potatoes.
• Stir periodically and cook until potatoes are tender and cooked throughout