Syria: Batata Harra

There are few things in this world I love more than fried potatoes. I'll take any form, really... french fries, potato chips, hash browns, potato pancakes, home fries, mmmmmmm. Think of Batata Harra as spiced-up home fries. In Syria, this dish is traditionally served as an appetizer, but I would serve these up for breakfast right next to two eggs over easy!

Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
Peanut or other oil for frying
Approximately .25 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green chiles, finely chopped
Approximately .25 red bell pepper, finely chopped
Coriander powder
Olive oil for sautéing
.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Lime juice (optional)

Step 1: Fry potato cubes in peanut oil until crisp. Remove from pan and place on paper towel.
Step 2: Sauté onion, garlic, chiles, red pepper, and a few pinches of coriander powder in olive oil until the onions are transparent (4-5 minutes).
Step 3: Add potatoes and fresh cilantro. Stir and turn off heat.
Step 4: Salt to taste. Serve with a splash of fresh lime juice.

In retrospect, I realized that the recipes may have been calling for hot red peppers instead of red bell peppers. I'm still not sure. But to make up for this, I piled on the aleppo pepper a friend sent me from a spice shop in L.A. It's a popular spice in Syria, and worked nicely with the potatoes. I've also seen variations that use curry powder. Yum.