This is a lovely summer take on a classic saag aloo, making the most of fresh chard and waxy new potatoes. Toasting and grinding the whole spices gives the dish a deeper, fresher flavour, while the chard cooks down into a richly spiced tangle that coats every potato. I like to serve it with cool yoghurt, good chutney and plenty of fresh herbs.
Serves 2
Ingredients
750g new potatoes
1 large bunch of chard
½ thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger, very finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
½ red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
3–4 green cardamom pods
1 tbsp medium hot curry powder
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Natural yoghurt
Mango chutney
A small handful of mint leaves
A small handful of coriander leaves
Method
Cook the potatoes in a large pan of well-salted boiling water until they take the point of a knife with ease. Drain well and set aside.
Meanwhile, place a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the cumin, coriander, fenugreek and cardamom pods and toast the spices for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until fragrant and just beginning to pop. Tip them into a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder, discarding the papery cardamom husks.
Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil. Once it's nice and hot, add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli. Fry gently for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion has softened and everything is beginning to colour.
Slice the chard stalks into small pieces and add them to the pan along with the freshly ground spices, the curry powder and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Cook for a further 3–4 minutes.
Roughly chop the chard leaves and add them to the pan with a splash of water. Toss everything together well and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring now and then, until the leaves have wilted down.
Add the cooked potatoes and gently tumble everything together until the potatoes are coated in the spiced chard. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, allowing the flavours to come together. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Divide between warm plates and serve with spoonfuls of cool yoghurt, a little mango chutney and a generous scatter of mint and coriander.