Rick Stein Potato and Pea Curry

I have made this recipe too many times to mention ( a quick look at the recipe page with all its stains tells a story ), it never fails and has the most amazing flavours , with the exception of a little more turmeric in the fried potatoes, I've pretty much stuck to the original recipe.

Ingredients

For the fried potatoes

• 1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm/1¼oz chunks
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

For the sauce

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Indian bay leaves ( I used ordinary bay leaves ) 
• ¼ tsp asafoetida
• 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely crushed
• 5cm/2in fresh root ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• 200g/7oz tomato passata
• 2 green chillies, sliced lengthways into thin strips, with or without seeds according to preference
• 150g/5½oz frozen peas
• 1 tsp garam masala
• handful chopped coriander leaves, to finish

Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water for eight minutes until just tender, then drain well. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan or frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the potatoes and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes, or until just starting to colour.

 Add the turmeric and fry for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

For the sauce, heat the oil in another pan over a medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and fry for one minute, then add the asafoetida and stir. Add the onion and fry for five minutes; then add the garlic and ginger and fry for five minutes, or until softened and lightly golden-brown.
Add the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, amchur, turmeric and salt and fry for one minute, then add the tomato passata, green chillies and 100ml/3½fl oz water and stir together. Add the fried potatoes, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, adding a splash of water if anything catches on the bottom of the pan.
Add the peas and garam masala and cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, or until the peas are cooked. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

You'll see if you compare this picture to Rick's that mine is considerably saucier, that is because I like this recipe to have a nice saucy consistency, nothing wrong with the original but I just like it this way. I serve this with homemade dal - recipe to follow