SPICY LEBANESE-STYLE POTATOES (BATATA HARRA)
Easy to form and fast to disappear, these Spicy Lebanese-Style Potatoes, referred to as Batata Harra, area unit a flavorsome starter, side dish, or party snack.
These potatoes area unit hot, spicy, and flavorful—a filling dish plan. In Lebanon, these potatoes area unit typically ready by deep-frying and it's completely delicious that approach. Except for the sake of convenience, I value more highly to prepare them by preparation within the kitchen appliance. They are available out great—browned and crispy! Why not serve these aboard some spread, tabbouleh, or muhammara?
This instruction makes enough to fill a sheet pan. If you would like over that, double it, however make sure to use 2 pans. If you crowd the potatoes onto one pan, they won’t bake and crisp properly. And for the cilantro detractors: worry not, you'll be able to simply substitute parsley, if necessary.
INGREDIENTS :
For the Potatoes:
- 1½ Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2lbs (around 1kg) of potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 5 Russet potatoes)
For the Seasoning Oil:
- 1 large clove garlic, minced (or 2 cloves if you love garlic)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper for medium, 1 teaspoon for hot
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Finishings:
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
- 2 heaping Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- squeeze of lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces (of a similar size). Toss them in a bowl with the 1½ Tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon sea salt to coat the pieces evenly. Scatter the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are all in one layer and evenly spaced. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. You don't need to turn or flip the potatoes.
- When the potatoes are done, leave them on the baking sheet and set them aside. Make the Seasoning Oil by combining the olive oil and the minced garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. You want to fry the garlic to get the raw taste out but you don't want to brown it. So only fry for about a minute then remove the pan from the heat.
- Put the cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper into the saucepan while the oil is still warm to bloom the spices. Stir them around for about a minute then use a spatula to scrape all of it--the oil, garlic, and spices--onto the roasted potatoes. Toss the potatoes to let the seasoned oil coat them completely. Sprinkle on the extra salt and the finely chopped cilantro and toss again to combine. Serve hot or warm, with a squeeze of lemon, if you like.
