I’ll never forget my mum’s head-turning squeal when she saw a bag of Desiree potatoes marked “grown in Lincolnshire” in the aisle of a London supermarket. She’s evangelical about their butteriness, and proud of the fact they’re grown near our family home, so this dish, which uses a classic Gujarati spicing of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and ground red chile, appears regularly on the Sodha family table.
Serves 2 to 3 as a main course
1 pound rainbow or Swiss chard
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
1¼ pounds Yukon gold or red skin potatoes
1½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 pound ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
11/3 teaspoons ground red chile
1/3 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1¼ teaspoons salt
To prepare the chard, cut the stems from the leaves. Cut the stems into 1¾-inch pieces and slice the leaves into 1¾-inch strips.
Put the oil into a large lidded frying pan and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onions and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft and golden brown. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cut into ¾-inch cubes. When the onions are ready, add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the potatoes and ¾ cup of water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and the chard stalks, cover, and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the chard stalks are soft. Add the ground red chile, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt and stir gently. Finally, add the chard leaves, coat with the mixture, and pop the lid back on for a final 2 to 3 minutes, until the leaves have wilted.
Serve with hot chapatis or rice, yogurt, and a little pickle.
