The potato was introduced to southern Asia in the early seventeenth century, probably by Portuguese traders but because the Europeans at that time were still undecided about the potato as a source of nutrition, its inclusion on the Portuguese ships could have been as a botanical curiosity, not only as a potential food crop. The earliest reference to a potato in India is made by  Edward Terry, who was chaplain to Sir Thomas Roe, British ambassador to the court of the Mughal Emperor Jahanagir from 1615 to 1619 in the northern of modern India.  Terry wrote, “In the northernmost part of the empire they have

good roots as carrot, potatoes and others like them are grown“  Although Terry was quite probably referring to potato, he could have meant the sweet potato which at the time was being cultivated in India but on very small scale. This quick dish originated in Nepal.

Ingredients

• 250 g potatoes, boiled and peeled
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 green chilles, sliced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 20 g sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp peanut or any vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Fry the sesame seeds for about 10 minutes and grind in a pestle and mortar to make a paste.
• Heat the peanut oil and fry the onion and the chillies until golden, add the potatoes, the sesame seed paste, the turmeric powder and salt to taste and combine well, simmer for 5 minutes.
• Serves with Chambray.