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Home ❯ Recipes ❯ Vegetables ❯ Cumin Potatoes (Vegan/Vegetarian!)

Cumin Potatoes (Vegan/Vegetarian!)

Judy

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Judy

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Updated: 8/17/2020
Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

If you love lots of spice, you’ll love these Cumin Potatoes! Anyone looking for “meat and potatoes” will find that even though this is a vegan dish, it’s a “meaty” one that’s perfect for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

The Flavor of Xi’An, China

Many of you may be familiar with Cumin Lamb, and this dish is inspired by the perfect blend of spices and aromatics from that dish, but with pan-fried potatoes instead. We first discovered it on the streets of Xi’An, at a street food night market, where cooks were frying things in woks set over what looked like enormous oil drums and other makeshift chimney-like cooktops. 

Cumin Potatoes in Xi'An, thewoksoflife.com

Xi'An Muslim Street Food, thewoksoflife.com

In this case, I used little young potatoes because not only are they really cute, they’re perfectly bite-sized. I will say they are a little expensive, so you can also use regular potatoes. Just thickly slice them (about ¼-inch thick) and skip the step of “smashing” to save a couple of bucks. Though if you are using sliced potatoes, you must pan-fry both sides to get a crisp crust. This prevents the slices from falling away and turning into a cumin potato hash.

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

What to Serve These Potatoes With

So what do you serve these cumin potatoes with? You know us––we eat rice with everything, and carbs on carbs is never a problem! Heck, we even serve rice with steaks. Okay, so I’m poking fun, but the recommendation stands! But if you’re not into carb loading, these potatoes would be a great accompaniment for meatloaf, other roast meats, or a steak dinner.

So skip the mashed potatoes, and give these Cumin Potatoes a try!   

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Cumin Potatoes: Recipe Instructions

Boil the potatoes in a pot of water for 15 minutes or until cooked through. When a fork goes through without any resistance, they’re ready.

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Drain and cool slightly before using the flat side of a large knife to lightly flatten them enough so that the skin breaks open, but each potato is still intact. Don’t over-press, or they’ll crumble!  

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flat-bottomed non-stick pan or cast iron skillet. Lightly brown the potatoes on both sides. You can skip this step if you are short on time. Just know that browning gives the potatoes a more roasted taste and robust flavor.

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Heat the last 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in your wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 cloves minced garlic, and the diced onion. Cook for about a minute, until the onion turns translucent.

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Next, add the potatoes, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, a tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and a dash of crushed chili flakes to taste.

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Gently stir using a wok spatula to coat the potatoes in the spices. Salt to taste, and add the scallion and cilantro. Gently mix everything well one more time before transferring to a serving dish.  

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Just like that, another vegan/vegetarian dish to add to your rotation. Who needs meat when you have a “meaty” dish like these Cumin Potatoes?

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

Of course, these flavorful cumin potatoes can also be enjoyed as a side dish.

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com

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Recipe

Cumin Potatoes, by thewoksoflife.com
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5 from 7 votes

Cumin Potatoes

Cumin potatoes are a dish that we discovered in the Northern Chinese city of Xi’An. Fragrant and spicy, this vegan potato dish is great as a side or main!
by: Judy
Serves: 4
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 35 minutes mins
Total: 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes (or any other small waxy variety)
  • 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • A dash of crushed chili flakes (optional/to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 scallion (chopped)
  • ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

  • Boil the potatoes in a pot of water for 15 minutes or until cooked through. When a fork goes through without any resistance, they’re ready.
  • Drain and cool slightly before using the flat side of a large knife to lightly flatten them enough so that the skin breaks open, but each potato is still intact. Don’t over-press, or they’ll crumble!
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flat-bottomed non-stick pan or cast iron skillet. Lightly brown the potatoes on both sides. You can skip this step if you are short on time. Just know that browning gives the potatoes a more roasted taste and robust flavor.
  • Heat the last 1 tablespoon of oil in your wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 cloves minced garlic, and the diced onion. Cook for about a minute, until the onion turns translucent. Next, add the potatoes, 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a dash of crushed chili flakes to taste.
  • Gently stir using a wok spatula to coat the potatoes in the spices. Salt to taste, and add the scallion and cilantro. Gently mix everything well one more time before transferring to a serving dish.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 188kcal (9%) Carbohydrates: 18g (6%) Protein: 4g (8%) Fat: 12g (18%) Saturated Fat: 1g (5%) Sodium: 474mg (20%) Potassium: 526mg (15%) Fiber: 3g (12%) Sugar: 2g (2%) Vitamin A: 95IU (2%) Vitamin C: 16.3mg (20%) Calcium: 52mg (5%) Iron: 4.5mg (25%)
Nutritional Info Disclaimer Hide Disclaimer
TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
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Judy

About

Judy
Judy Leung is the matriarch of The Woks of Life family, working on the blog alongside husband Bill and daughters Sarah and Kaitlin. Born in Shanghai, China, she immigrated to the United States at sixteen. Fluent in both English and three Chinese dialects, she also plays the important role of researcher and menu translator! Drawing from over four decades of cooking experience and travel, Judy aims to bring Chinese culinary traditions to readers and preserve recipes that might otherwise be lost to time. Her expertise spans from Shanghainese cooking and everyday homestyle dishes to a variety of regional foodways, showcasing the depth and breadth of Chinese cuisine for a global audience. Over the last decade, she’s helped transform The Woks of Life into what Saveur Magazine has deemed “the internet’s most popular Chinese cooking blog,” co-written a New York Times bestselling cookbook, and become convinced that we will never run out of recipes to share!
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