Indian Home Fries with Peanuts

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 2 Servings

I dare you to find someone who openly admits that they don’t like home fries — or even potatoes, for that matter. And if they do admit it, I’m convinced they’re an alien! Now, getting back to Earth — we made these Indian Home Fries with Peanuts to accompany our Modern Shaboodani (pearl couscous with cumin, chiles, and peanuts) on Saturdays, but honestly these are so great on their own. They’re sweet, crunchy, spicy — everything you need in a well-balanced dish.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
2 Indian green chilies, or 2 serrano or green arbol peppers
1/2 medium lemon
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil or vegetable oil
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Peel and cut 1 pound sweet potatoes crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices. Halve 2 green chilies lengthwise. Cut 1/2 medium lemon into 4 wedges. Coarsely chop 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems until you have 1/4 cup.
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add heaping 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and starting to pop, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the sweet potatoes, toss to coat with the cumin, and cook 1 minute. Add the chilies, 2 tablespoons of the peanuts, and half the cilantro, and toss to combine. Spread the potatoes out into an even layer and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Cook, tossing the potatoes every 5 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and charred in spots, about 15 minutes total.
Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over the potatoes, add the remaining cilantro, and toss to combine. Serve garnished with the remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon peanuts. Serve warm or at room temperature with the remaining lemon wedges.