Kalonji (Nigella Seed) Potatoes

In my CSA, I received a pound of Red Norland potatoes, which I found out are small red potatoes with a thin red skin and white flesh. I wanted to make a curry out of them with a spice I’ve been using a lot called kalonji, which is also sometimes called nigella seed or black caraway seed.

It looks like this, kind of like little black pieces of charcoal:

It tastes a lot like onion, but I found it has no relation. The spice originated in Italy and Turkey but spread to African and Southeast Asian cuisine. It goes really well in dishes with potato and dal and also in breads. I learned too that it has a lot of healthful benefits including clearing up respiratory congestion and aiding in digestion so it’s a good spice to add into the mix.

This dish is really fast to make if you boil the potatoes ahead of time – it’s basically a couple fried spices, the potatoes and some sour cream at the end – sounds good right??

Kalonji (Nigella Seed) Potatoes

Ingredients2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/2 pound of dark red Norland potatoes (or any variety of small red potatoes), boiled and cut into quarters
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon kalonji (nigella) seed
1/4-1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
salt
1 teaspoon sour creamMethod

Boil potatoes, quarter and set aside.

Heat ghee or oil under medium-high heat and throw in hing, cumin seeds and kalonji seeds. When cumin seeds start to brown, turn down the heat to medium and throw in onions. Fry the onions until translucent. Add in turmeric and stir. Throw in garlic and ginger and mix up. Add in potatoes and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add in salt. When potatoes are almost done, add in 1 teaspoon of sour cream and mix well.