Curry Potato Cakes — a plant-based Indian recipe by BOSH!
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Curry Potato Cakes

We absolutely love these curry potato cakes. They're the kind of thing you knock up when you want something a bit special but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen. Crispy on the outside, soft and spiced on the inside, with warm curry flavours, wilted spinach and fresh coriander running through every bite. They work brilliantly as a side dish but honestly, we often just eat them on their own with a big dollop of chutney. If you've got 25 minutes, make these tonight.

Cook: 25 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • 2x large saucepans
  • Potato masher
  • Frying pan

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp plant-based butter
  • 8 potato
  • tsp salt
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 inches of ginger
  • 1 ½ tsp turmeric
  • 60g coriander
  • 60g spinach
  • 180g peas
  • plain flour to dust
  • dahl - or any curry you fancy
  • rice
  • popadoms

Method

1

Start with the potatoes

  • Boil the potatoes for about 12-15 minutes until mashable
  • Mash with the diary free butter, salt and pepper
2

For the rest of the ingredients

  • In another pan, soften the shallots in the coconut oil, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further few minutes
  • Next, add the water and all the spices. Stir well until all mixed together, then add the coriander and spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted down
  • Add the mashed potato to the pan, and mix until it forms a paste-like consistency
  • Then stir in the peas
3

Make the cakes

  • Remove from heat, and take satsuma-sized amounts of the mix
  • Using your hands and plain flour, roll them into burger patty shapes. It should make about 8-10 potato cakes
  • Fry the cakes in a small amount of coconut oil until they start to crisp on the outside, flipping half way through
4

To serve

  • Serve with any curry you fancy, with some rice and some papadums for crunch

Tips & Variations

  • Make them crispier: We find a really hot pan with a good glug of coconut oil gives you the best golden crust. Don't move them around too much once they're in the pan, just let them do their thing.
  • Add some heat: If you like things spicy, a pinch of chilli flakes or a finely chopped fresh chilli added with the garlic and ginger makes these really sing.
  • Swap the greens: Not got spinach? Kale or even frozen peas work really well in here. Just make sure you cook kale down properly so it's not too chunky in the cakes.

Why This Works

The trick here is building the spice base properly before you fold it into the mash. Cooking the shallots, garlic and ginger down first, then blooming the spices in a little water, means every bit of potato is packed with flavour rather than tasting bland in the middle. The spinach wilting down into the mix also adds moisture and keeps everything from getting too dense.