Parsis love potatoes, especially fried potatoes. Is there a Parsi home in which salli, the delicious potato straws that go with everything, is unknown? I doubt it.

Among the many Parsi dishes inspired by potatoes is something I first ate and loved as a young child at my aunt Bhikoo’s house. She called it bafaat, which I’ve always thought a funny name, because in Parsi Gujarati “bafaat” means a blunder or gaffe, more precisely, it’s when you accidentally divulge information that was not to be disclosed. I have never eaten this specific dish anywhere else and can’t find anything similar elsewhere, though there are many versions of an unrelated Mangalorean dish called bafaat, or bafad on the web.

I’d written this recipe down more than 20 years ago (pulled together from talking to my aunt and her daughter) and then forgot all about it. Until last night. I pulled out this old recipe and decided to cook it up for our dinner guests, several of them Parsis, and my husband, a potato addict. Interestingly, none of the Parsis had ever eaten it before, or heard the name bafaat either, so I’m not quite sure of the provenance of this dish. I slightly modified and wrote up the recipe anyway to share it with a fellow food lover, and then decided to share it here as well. It’s delicious, that much I promise.

Bhikoo’s mami’s bafaat potatoes

• Take 4-5 large potatoes, peel and cut into thick round slices. Sprinkle a little salt, then either deep fry or shallow fry in a non-stick pan, on both sides until cooked and just starting to turn light-brown on the edges. Set aside on paper towel or colander.

• In a non-stick pan fry 1 cup finely chopped onions in a little oil until light brown.
• Add 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste, ½ tsp turmeric powder, and ½ tsp chilli powder and fry 20 seconds more

 

 

 

• Add ½ cup (100 ml) grated white coconut or dry coconut (if you can’t get fresh). Fry, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

• Add 1 tsp salt and 4 medium tomatoes, rough cut and whipped in blender or grated. Cook on medium heat 3-4 minutes. At this stage add ½ to 1 cup water if the masala mixture is too dry.                            

• Add fried potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add ¼ tsp Parsi garam masala (or any garam masala if you don’t have the Parsi version. You can even skip this). Cook for another 2 minutes.
• Turn off fire and garnish with coriander (optional).
• Can be eaten with rice, chapatti, or pau (bread).

A surefire hit with all potato lovers, Indian food enthusiasts, and definitely great at a pot-luck or party.

Top Photo by Lars Blankers on Unsplash