"The scent of Eastern Promise." An Aromatic Boudoir.
Kashmir means opulence. It was since the Bronze Age a wealthy cosmopolitan trading town. It was even mentioned in The Thousand And One Nights (Arabian Nights) by Scheherazade, greatest storyteller of all. Please don't expect me to know which page. The history of Kashmir is worth researching for curiosity wonder and inspiration. For now all we are interested in, as usual, is the Spice. I am fortunate to have here a pouch of Kashmir Bazaar blend. It is luxurious and contains most everything. I do not personally know the proportions however I do know the greatest to least in order if the ingredients list is to be trusted to have followed the traditions. I see no reason to doubt it.
Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Oils (Mustard oil, Rapeseed oil), Fenugreek Leaves, Cumin Powder, Bay Leaves, Mustard Seeds, Cardamom Powder, Black Pepper Powder, Cloves, Fenugreek Powder, Nutmeg Powder.
There is only one thing to do with such a blend for a well seasoned RolePlayer and that is to make another yummy batch of Otik's Spicy Fried Potatoes. It took me quite some experimentation to get this right even with the con fuddling misinformation given about by the impossible to achieve 'official' recipe from the Leaves of the Inn of the Last Home book.
Otik is the proprietor of the Last Home and it is him (and Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weiss) who we have to thank for it.
My method is to chop two average sized potatoes into cubes approximately 8mm square cubes and fry them in an inch of virgin olive oil. I do not ever use any other sort of cooking oil because Health is the most important thing in life. If you don’t care about your health now, you will do in twenty years when it’s too late. Don't worry about waste, the oil is reclaimed afterwards having been spiced (and starched?!) sufficiently to make it supreme drizzle-oil for other recipes if nothing else. I measure an inch because that's how big my skillet is, so long as the bubbling oil covers the potatoes thats all good.
The biggest concern is to not mash the potatoes. Put the spices in. You want a thin layer covering the surface of the potatoes but not so much the spice will form clumps and fry independently of it covering the potatoes. Gently stir just enough to coat all the potatoes in spice but to too much, its not at all like stirring a broth where stirring is a necessary method. We're more pushing the potatoes around gently than stirring them to keep them intact. Use a wooden spatula, not a metal tool, to respect the potatoes which at this time are going squishy in the hot oil. Did I mention to get the oil hot enough to bubble but not to spit? Getting this bit right took me twenty years and a lot of spicy oily mashed potato experiments gone wrong.
After the potatoes are cooked all the way through to their core, drain off all of the oil into a glass or metal container. Put the potatoes back on the heat (at the same temperature) and sizzle them to brown them off and cause their surface to go crispy. This is where you have to stir them again, as gently as before. Avoid them sticking to the skillet and burning.
There is another trick here. When cooking chips* in a deep fat fryer (the way they do it in British chip shops using cheap vegetable oil which it takes ages for your body to detox from), take the chips out when they are nearly done but not quite crisped and leave them to cool off. It usually takes at least twenty minutes. Long enough to turn the hot fat off and then heat it up again. Then return the chips to the hot fat. It makes them super-crispy.
People might say this is bad for health because saturated fats but we’re using expensive virgin olive oil here none of that unhealthy cheap stuff. It’s worth the investment. Even at $8 a bottle for the good stuff which will last awhile. This is why traditionally top quality restaurants charge so much, it’s for top quality ingredients. You deserve to experience the difference.
That medicine and surgical operations for your ailments from a habitually unhealthy lifestyle? That costs even more.
Hey I used to eat out of skips in my twenties. I’ve starved to the point of medical intervention. Respecting diet and “we are what we eat” (quite literally) is a life lesson I learned the hard way. Don’t begrudge me my quirks.
On the topic of hot oil, next up: home made fire-brands (“Torches”). Because caring about health is insufficient to prevent fooling around with fire-danger-death, obviously.
When the spiced potatoes are browned and crispy all over, scoop them into a bowl for serving. Clear a space in the centre of the bowl for a big dollop of Greek style natural yoghurt which works wonderfully to balance the heat of the chilli.
Enjoy.
* Americans beware; in Britain we call fries chip, chips crisps, pants trousers, underwear pants, asses fanny's and fanny's asses.
