Crispy Baby Potatoes in Fennel-Ginger Cashew Gravy

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Blistered baby potatoes simmered gently in a glossy red gravy built on ground fennel, dry ginger and whole warm spices, with soaked cashews blended smooth to give the sauce its silky body. No onion, no garlic, no dairy — just deep aromatic spice and potatoes that soak up every drop. Serve with hot rice or flatbread.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb baby potatoes, about 1.5 inches wide
• 1 tsp fine sea salt (for boiling water)
• 5 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower or avocado

• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup hot water

• 2 tbsp ground fennel seed
• 1.5 tsp ground dry ginger
• 1.5 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 black cardamom pod, lightly crushed
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Put the baby potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by 1 inch, add 1 tsp salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10–12 minutes, until a knife slides into a potato with slight resistance — just underdone. Drain and cool 5 minutes, then peel if you like (the skins slip off easily) and prick each potato 4–5 times all over with a fork or toothpick so it can drink up the gravy.
2. While the potatoes cook, cover the cashews with 1/2 cup hot water and soak 15 minutes. Blend cashews and their soaking water on high for 60–90 seconds until completely smooth and pourable, like heavy cream. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir the ground fennel, dry ginger, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric and asafoetida with 1/3 cup water to make a loose paste. This keeps the ground spices from scorching later.
4. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or kadai over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the potatoes in a single layer and fry 6–8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until blistered and golden-brown on most sides. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
5. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of oil from the pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp fresh oil, and lower the heat to medium. Add the cumin seeds, green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf and fry 30–45 seconds, just until the cumin sizzles and smells toasty.
6. Scrape in the spice paste and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture darkens to a deep brick red and the oil separates at the edges. Keep the heat moderate — Kashmiri chili burns fast.
7. Stir in 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt, scraping the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the fried potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, until the potatoes are fully tender and the gravy has reduced by about a third.
8. Lower the heat to the barest simmer and stir in the cashew cream, garam masala and maple syrup. Simmer uncovered 4–5 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and glosses the potatoes. Do not let it boil hard after the cashew cream goes in or it can split; loosen with a splash of hot water if it thickens too much.
9. Taste and adjust salt. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it rest 10 minutes so the potatoes absorb the gravy. Fish out the whole spices if you like, scatter with cilantro, and serve hot with steamed rice or warm flatbread.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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