I wrote this recipe at the same time as writing my wedding invites and accidentally burned the artichokes at the bottom of the pan. It tasted so delicious with the charred, crispy bits nestled in among the buttery soft ones that I rewrote the recipe to give the artichokes a chance to crisp up a little. These are great just on toast, or as a partner to eggplant and pea curry (see here).
Serves 4 to 6 as a side
1¾ pounds Jerusalem artichokes
4 tablespoon butter or ghee
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, roughly ground
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
¾-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1–2 Indian green chiles, finely sliced
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
juice of ½ a lemon
1 tablespoon cilantro stems, very finely chopped
Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and cut them into chunks. Throw them into a pan of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for around 15 minutes, until the artichokes are tender and don’t resist the tip of a knife. Drain and very lightly smash with a fork.
In a frying pan, heat the butter or ghee. When hot, add the cumin seeds, stir, then add the garlic, ginger, green chiles, salt, and black pepper, and mix well. Put the artichokes back into the mixture, stir to mix, and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Stir again, then cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes, until the artichokes start to crisp up and brown a little.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the artichokes and gently toss with the cilantro stems. Taste and add more salt if needed, then serve.
