2025 Day 18

Like their red kin, green Sichuan peppercorns are not spicy-hot. Instead, they taste citrus-like and produce numbing micro-vibrations in the mouth when eaten, setting the stage for spicy chilies in classic Sichuan cuisine. This spicy, numbing combination is known as “ma la” in Chinese.

Mustang Aloo

Ingredients
4 potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
1 tbsp dried chili flakes
3 tsp green Szechuan peppercorns
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp ginger minced
1/2 tsp garlic minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin ground
1/2 tsp coriander ground
olive oil
salt
1/2 cup green onions chopped
cilantro leaves

Directions
Par boil the potatoes. ( 2- 3 minutes in boiling potatoes)
Dry roast the Szechuan peppercorns, fenugreek and the chili flakes for 2 minutes in a hot pan. Grind them together into a powder. Blend with the others spices.
Toss the par boiled potatoes with a little bit of olive oil and the spices.
Heat olive oil  in a pan and sautée the ginger and garlic and then add the potatoes. Do them in batches to make sure you brown the potatoes on all sides. Toss with green onions and season with salt.
Serve topped with cilantro.