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smashed twice cooked cumin potatoes in a white plate with a white sauce and parsley

Smash it!

Cooking, Food, Sides Sinmi
smashed twice cooked cumin potatoes in a white plate with a white sauce and parsley

I first made this potato recipe on Thanksgiving day. It was one of those things that I just kept playing with, in my head. Unsurprisingly it worked. This recipe for Smashed Twice Cooked Cumin Potatoes is one that would work so well in any meal prep plan.

For me, when I meal prep, I want to be able to combine my foods with different items. To prep the potatoes I used in this recipe, I boil the potatoes and smash them once they are soft. Once the potatoes cool down, I store it in the fridge. This initial cooking of the potatoes gives me a lot of flexibility when I am ready to use the potatoes. So instead of having finished dishes, I like to have cooked or prepped items that can be combined to make different dishes. This way I don’t get stuck in a rut of feeling like I am eating the same thing every day.

smashed twice cooked cumin potatoes in a white plate in a black cast iron pan

Spices can really make a huge difference in changing up the way food taste. The cumin in this smashed twice cooked potatoes does a marvelous job making this feel so different. Cumin and I have had a loving relationship. This relationship with cumin only got better once I became obsessed with chicken fat. This means, more often than not, when I use cumin in a recipe, chicken fat makes an appearance. I just found that the combination works. Individually, cumin and chicken fat work. Together, they are magic like in this Smashed Twice Cooked Cumin Potatoes.

If you can’t get chicken fat, duck fat is also a very good option for cooking this potatoes. If you don’t want fat from a bird, a butter or ghee works nicely as well. The point is that you want to use a fat that has good flavor when you are making potatoes. Don’t skimp on flavor by using neutral oil.

I served the smashed twice cooked cumin potatoes with a lemony yogurt tahini sauce. The recipe for the sauce is here.

smashed potatoes in a black cast iron pan.

Smashed Twice Cooked Cumin Potatoes

Sinmi
A meal-prep favorite of mine, these smashed twice cooked potatoes are crispy and loaded on flavor when done. Don’t believe me, try it!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 pounds Potatoes russett potatoes work well
  • 1 tsp Cumin seed
  • 3 tbsp Chicken fat duck fat or ghee make a great substitute
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Don’t peel the potatoes. Simply scrub the skin. If the potatoes are large, cut into large chunks.
  • Cook the potatoes in well-salted water until fork tender. Drain
  • Allow the potatoes to cool a bit. Once you can handle then, flatten with the side of a cup, rolling pin or your palms. If you are meal prepping, this is the best point to store the potatoes.
  • When you are ready to eat the potatoes, heat a pan big enough to hold all the potatoes. Add in 2 tbsp of chicken fat. Once that is melted, add in the cumin seeds.
  • Once the chicken fat is sizzling, add in the potatoes. Press the potatoes into the pan so that they spread out and flatten out. Then leave it alone. You want the bottom to fry and crispy up undisturbed.
  • Keep listening to the pan, as it starts to crackle regularly, you know it is time to turn. Usually takes about 7-10 minutes. It is time to flip the potatoes.
  • Try as much as possible to turn all of the potatoes. It is not going to be a neat singularly piece. It is likely going to crumble. That’s ok. 
  • Once you are happy with the new flat layout, tuck bits of the single tablespoon of fat leftover into the potatoes. You can place the bits of fat on the edge of the pan for extra crispiness.
  • Fry on the second side for about 5 minutes. Then you are ready to serve the smashed twice cooked cumin potatoes.
Keyword chicken fat, cumin, potato, potatoes, smashed potatoes