I’ve always wondered why when people talk about tacos they are usually referring to soft tacos. Growing up we always ate crispy tacos, often filled with rajma and topped with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, diced onions and lots of cheddar cheese. The crunchy texture of the taco was crucial to the mix, which is why when asked if I want a soft or crispy taco I will always opt for the later (except when the soft taco has a crunchy element like fried plantain which I am saving for another post;)
I think I learned this from watching my brother but I have a tendency to break my taco in half and then pile on as much filling as I can because the small taco opening can be a tad limiting to someone with my appetite. It was my husband Ben who first started bringing home tostadas or flat tacos that are made in Brooklyn (yes one of the reasons we are married:) I had eaten tostadas before but only in restaurants so this was a complete revelation to be able to have these flat tacos available to me for eating at home at my leisure.
Since that fateful day, there has been somewhat of a tostada renaissance taking place in our kitchen from simple nachos to papri chaat to ones topped with Indian-style black beans, rajma (of course), chickpeas, even dal, broccoli and feta (ode to No. 7’s broccoli tacos). Most recently we topped our tostadas with some sweet and savory potatoes cooked in mustard oil with cotija cheese, yogurt and tomato achaar.
Before I share this recipe, I do want to address some controversy surrounding mustard oil. On bottles of mustard oil sold in the US, you will find the warning: For External Use Only.
The reason for this warning is that in the US, Canada and the EU, mustard oil is not allowed for consumption due to its erucic acid content. Truth be told, mustard oil has been used in cooking and pickling in India and neighboring parts of the world for centuries.
Mustard oil has healthful benefits for the body (circulation, heart health, anti-inflammatory, relieves congestion, used in pickling for its anti-bacterial qualities etc.) when consumed and can also be used as a massage oil that benefits your skin and hair. It imparts a pungent, yet rich flavor to certain foods, potatoes in particular are outstanding cooked with this oil – think of potatoes cooked in olive oil, but with way more complexity and depth in flavor. I’ve found the spices that complement mustard oil best are cumin and nigella seeds, sometimes referred to as onion seeds because of the oniony flavor they impart when fried in oil (no relation to onion though).
This recipe is also Alok-approved. I served him the potato curry on top of the Creamy Yellow Lentil Dal with Tomatoes and Ginger (Thovvay) from my cookbook along with rice/quinoa and yogurt and he loved it!
Curried Mustard Oil Potato Tostadas
serves 4
Ingredients
1 sweet potato
2 russet potatoes (or any other variety will do)
2 tablespoons mustard oil
pinch of hing or asafetida
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
salt
tostadas or taco shells
cotija cheese
plain yogurt or sour cream
Brooklyn Delhi tomato achaar
lime
cilantro, chopped (I didn’t have any:(
Method
Boil potatoes in salted water until cooked through but not breaking apart – about 20 minutes. Drain water and when the potatoes are cool enough to touch, chop them into bite-size cubes.
Heat a skillet (with lid and preferably not non-stick) on medium-high heat. Add in mustard oil. Add in asafetida, cumin seeds and nigella seeds. When the cumin seeds start to brown, add in onions. Turn the heat to medium. Stir fry for a few seconds and then add in the turmeric powder and stir again. Fry the onions for about 5-7 minutes, stirring them from time to time so they do not burn but brown a bit. Add in the garlic and ginger. Fry until fragrant, a few seconds. Next add the coriander, chili powder and garam masala. Stir and fry for a few seconds.
Add the boiled and chopped potatoes. Sprinkle salt on top and give them a good stir. Cover the potatoes and turn the heat to low. Check back in about 5 minutes. There may be a crust forming on the bottom of the pan (that is good). Scrape the pan down to get the good bits free. The interesting thing about potatoes is they have a lot of moisture in them so when you cover them they steam naturally. Cover again, repeat the first step a couple times until the potatoes are nice and soft and there are nice brown bits here and there. Turn off the stove. Add a squeeze of lime and taste for salt.
Heat your tostadas or tacos in the oven at 350 until nice and sizzly. Take them out and let them sit for a minute so they crisp up. Pile on some of the potato curry, top with copious amounts of yogurt, cotija cheese, Brooklyn Delhi tomato achaar and squeezes of lime and cilantro.
Follow
