Shared by Elli Benaiah
Shared by Elli Benaiah
Aloo Makala (Fried Potatoes)
Yield: 6 to 8 servingsTime: About 45 minutes
Aloo Makala (Fried Potatoes)
Yield: 6 to 8 servingsTime: About 45 minutesFamily Journey
Kolkata, IndiaLondonRamat Gan, Israel
TorontoRa’anana, IsraelBasel, Switzerland
Dishes like this one from the Iraqi-Indian Jewish community are a hybrid of traditions. Aloo means potato in Hindi, while makala is an old Iraqi Arabic word for friend, explains Elli Benaiah. “There’s no parallel to this in any place in the world I can think of. It doesn’t exist in Iraq, it doesn’t exist in India.” The dish is served for Friday night dinner with halba, a fenugreek chutney made with coriander and ginger.
Cooking note: These crispy potatoes are par-boiled first to make sure they cook all the way through and then fried. You will want to have a candy or deep-fry thermometer on hand for this recipe.
Read more about Elli's family in "For Four Generations, This Family Has Celebrated Shabbat with Iraqi-Indian Flavors" and try his recipes for spayty, rice pilau, and mahasha.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds small golden potatoes, peeled
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups vegetable oil
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot filled with water ¾ the way up to a boil over high heat. Add the turmeric and salt and mix. Gently place the potatoes into the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Bring the water back to a boil and partially cook potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and let potatoes dry on a paper towel lined tray.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a deep 2-quart pan or sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is simmering or a thermometer placed into the oil reads 350 degrees, gently place the par-cooked potatoes into the oil using a slotted spoon. Fry the potatoes over high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, rotating the potatoes often until a light golden crust develops on the potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, lightly turning the potatoes to prevent sticking, until they start to wrinkle, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 3
Just before serving, increase the heat back to high and fry, turning the potatoes often until they are evenly cooked and deep golden brown in color and crispy, about 10 more minutes. Transfer the fried potatoes with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined tray.
Step 4
Serve hot with a side of halba.
