Lifespan of a Chennette

I am still on vacation, but my hosts in Glasgow left me home alone with the computer and internet. And TriniGourmet forwarded a request to me a few days ago for a recipe for fry aloo which is a staple accompaniment to sada roti in Trinidad. I love this dish, although in most incarnations it is not necessarily healthy. Thinly sliced aloo (potato) is sautéed with onions and garlic until the edges are brown and crispy. This can take a lot of oil sometimes if you’re not particularly skilled, hence the unhealthiness. But it is possible to leave the oil to drain out after cooking, or with practice, use less oil. One of my Chinese kitchenmates in Edinburgh made a similar dish, without the onions and other seasonings - sliced potatoes and salt, oil and constant turning while it cooked. I loved it. I loved that I had it with someone else doing the work. Because I have never actually made this myself. Hence no pictures until I do in fact try it myself, or document its making in la casa familial. Pictures of the entire process courtesy Lilandra. The recipe, as is often the case with these traditional dishes, is courtesy Mom.

Fry Aloo

Ingredients

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• salt and black or white pepper to taste
• finely chopped hot pepper and green seasonings (such as thyme, celery or chadon beni (bandhania) can also be added if desired
• oil for frying - about 4 tablespoons

Method
1. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Slice thinly and rinse well to get some starch out.

2. Slice onion thinly. Mince or crush garlic.

3. In a heavy deep frying pan (or a wok), heat oil and sauté onions until translucent.

4. Add potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper (and any other seasonings)and stir well, When the potatoes have beenthoroughly heated through (stirring all the time) allow to cook on a reduced (medium to low) heat, stirring from time to time.

5. After potatoes are cooked through, keep stirring to get the desired colour and crispiness. Note - If the potatoes are brown but not cooked then at last stage you can cover pot and leave on low heat to cook potatoes.

Enjoy with Sada Roti and Amchar or Kuchela.