Bangladeshi
Aloo Bhorta
Bangladeshi mashed potatoes enlivened with smoky fried dried chiles, softened red onion, cilantro, and the unmistakable pungent lift of food-grade mustard oil.
4 servings · 15 minutes prep · 20 minutes cook
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
Chile, Onion, and Mustard Oil
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 3 dried red Indian chiles, stems removed
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons food-grade mustard oil, mustard oil is essential here; do not substitute avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Directions
Cook and Dry the Potatoes
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until every piece crushes easily against the pan.
- Drain thoroughly, return the potatoes to the warm dry saucepan, and shake over low heat for 60 seconds until surface moisture evaporates. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool for 5 minutes.
Smoke the Chiles and Soften the Onion
- Heat the neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the dried chiles for 30 to 60 seconds, turning, until blistered, fragrant, and deeply colored but not ashy. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the red onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent with a few golden edges. Scrape the onion and its flavored oil over the potatoes.
Mash and Finish
- Crush the cooled chiles to coarse flakes with gloved fingers or a mortar. Add them to the potatoes and mash until cohesive but not perfectly smooth. Fold in the mustard oil, cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Taste carefully for salt and chile. Spoon into a shallow bowl, make a few hollows in the surface, and drizzle with a few extra drops of mustard oil if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
