Kensico Dam Indianish Potato Salad
I am a huge fan of essential carbs, comforting potato dishes, snowy white Basmati rice and well toasted bread. The reasons are myriad. In summer, when we think of potatoes, it is difficult to move away from the potato salad. This is my classic potato salad recipe. I call it Valhalla Dam Potato Salad.
A potato salad is one of the classics on a summer table, comforting, soft, white and pristine. A good potato salad of course, needs to be about the potato. Even and especially, if your summer salad like mine gets its inspiration for the garden seasonal table. I have used red skinned Dutch Yellow Potatoes and meshed them with a couple of spices and garden chives.
Then the fun begins…
Across the web, we have different inspirations for the potato salad, here is one from the Brown Eyed Baker. A collection of unusual varieties from Saveur Magazine. Lastly, a grilled variety from the Food and Wine magazine. There are, of course others that I have sampled along the journey of life. . This potato salad, not surprisingly draws its inspirations from my Indian table. This was created for a picnic at the local Kensico dam, a simple park that has seem many a simple moment in our lives. And on potato salads, here is a tri-colored one from me.
These moments include the picnic that inspired this salad. When, you live in a town as long as we have, in spite of yourself, you learn to love the place. It is as much for the memories as it is for the place itself. Granted, almost all my life this will remain a bedroom town for me.
Essential things that make this salad interesting are the hints of cumin and mustard oil. I also use yogurt instead of mayonaise.
A lively potato salad that get some kick from Indian spices.
Ingredients
- 1/2-pound medium red skinned potatoes
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup natural yogurt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in their jackets until they are soft but not overdone. This takes about 6 minutes.
- Cool until they are comfortable to handle and peel and cube.
- Place in a mixing bowl.
- Add in the salt.
- Healt the oil in a pan and add in the whole cumin seeds and garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour this oil over the potatoes.
- Stir in the yogurt.
- Add in lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir in the chives, let this rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.