Potato Salad with Herbs & Tomatoes – A “Fresh Moroccan” Taste

Last week I was at the bookstore, just browsing & I came across this Book called “Fresh Moroccan” by Nada Saleh. I immediately got drawn to the beautiful picture of a heap of Saffron on the cover of the book. I started looking through it, & my heart refused to come back home without the book. So I listened to my heart & bought it home…Having cooked Moroccan food before, I knew I was not going regret buying this. It is a wonderful book – full of colors of the food & culture, with equally colorful, healthy & easy to cook recipes.

Nada Saleh is a trained nutritionist & is a member of the British Academy of Gastronomes. This is what she  says in her book, “… Sharing regular meals is an important factor in the life of the Moroccans, & home cooking is a neutral part of everyday life – it’s a joy for everyone & brings the amily together. Through out this book you will find wholesome recipes that promote health & longetivity. They are low in fat & in salt & are therefore a good choice for those who wish to lose excess weight.”

 

Talking of colors… I have never seen a Potato salad look so good. It tastes wonderful…with some hint of spice & exotic flavors of saffron its a truly elegant & luxurious salad. I have tried a few recipes from the book, & they have delighted our palates. Here I have made very slight changes to the original recipe. The author with her expertise as a nutritionist, claims that this dish is rich in phosphorus, potassium, Vit C, & Chromium which maintains the sugar levels in the bloodstream.

 

Ingredients:

  1. 3 large Potatoes Scrubbed Clean & Peeled.
  2. 2 Medium Tomatoes Chopped
  3. 1 Teaspoon Tomato Paste
  4. 1/2 Cup Water
  5. Salt
  6. 1 Small Onion Chopped fine
  7. 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  8. 1 Garlic Peeled & Mashed
  9. 1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika
  10. A few Saffron Threads
  11. 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin
  12. A Fistful of Parsely, Finely Chopped
  13. A Fistful of Cilantro/Coriander leaves Chopped
  14. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  15. 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  16. Cayenne Pepper
  17. 2 Tablespoon Chopped Lightly Toasted Almonds

Preparation:

Steam the potatoes till fork tender & cool & cut them into cubes.

Heat 1/2 Tablespoon oil in a pan until just warm. Add the Cumin Seeds, Onion & minced Garlic. Stir them for a couple of minutes.

Add the Tomato paste, ginger, salt, paprika, saffron, & water & simmer them for about 8-10 minutes.

Add the Cubed Potatoes, Chopped Tomatoes, Parsely, & Cilantro/Coriander leaves & shake the pan to mix.

Add the remaining oil, Black Pepper, & Simmer for another couple of minutes.

Add Lemon Juice. Give it another good shake, & Sprinkle the Cayenne Pepper.

Garnish with more Cilantro/Coriander Leaves & Almonds.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

The very first appeal of this salad even before you taste is its color. Then the taste will transport you to another flavorful exotic world. Sending this to No Croutons Required hosted by Holler at Tinned Tomatoes. This month’s challenge is Potatoes.

Related Posts:
White Potatoes with Nigella
Zest & Colors – Add some to your life




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