Chilli Basil Potato

CHILLI. BASIL. POTATO. Winning combo!!!

There is something about that aroma of Basil that awakens. It's so FRESH and EARTHY. It somehow reminds me of the fragrance of first rain. RAIN - I'm dying for some rains to bring down the heat. And all my thoughts are invariably leading to monsoons. Until, then I'm left with just sniffing away on some fresh Basil.

This Chilli Basil Potato is my FAVORITE Potato appetizer. We always order it at our local Thai restaurant. We tried other appetizers - Sesame Potato, Cauliflower Pepper Salt etc etc. But we always come back to these Chilli Basil Potatoes.

I wanted to make something really really healthy this weekend. Really!!! But those potatoes were really just staring me in the face from their basket. I thought they said PICK ME too... or may be that was just a voice in my head. Eh, who cares? These Chilli Basil Potato were totally worth the Potato indulgence. I stir fried them instead of deep frying, so I kept some end of my healthy eating bargain.

You know the other advantage of these Chilli Basil Potatoes? Your kitchen smells AMAZING. That's right! That wafting aroma actually got the I-am-addicted-to-my-phone hubby dearest Raj into the kitchen to check out what was cooking. 

Don't you simply hate how these men are always on... actually almost into their laptop / phone/ tablet ? I wish we were in simpler times, when a phone meant a box in the corner of the room with a cord hanging off it. Leave me a comment if you have succeeded in getting your man off his gadget.

And you know what? Back in those days, no food was bad food. There was no good fat, no bad fat. No high sugar, low sugar. No "let's-hate-the-potato" club. 

Anyway, back to the Chilli Basil Potatoes, I marinated them in some lemon juice and salt for around 10 minutes. And then stir fried them in sesame oil along with chilli flakes and fresh basil. They made a beautiful side for my homemade burgers.

Chilli Basil Potato

Potato stir fried with chilli flakes and fresh basil to make a delicious appetizer or snack.

Recipe Type:  Snacks / Appetizer
Cuisine:         Thai
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:             Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large Potato
3-4 tsp of Sesame Oil or Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp of Chilli flakes
1 tsp of Lemon juice
A handful of fresh Basil leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the Potato into long thick strips like french fries.
Mix them with salt and lemon juice and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and drop the potato in it.
Stir the potatoes well so that they are all coated by the oil.
Now cook on low heat until the potatoes are done.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli flakes and the basil leaves and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the basil leaves wilt.
Add more salt if required.
Serve hot.