Many people mainly know potatoes to be mashed potatoes and fries. However, potato products go beyond those. This vegetable can be baked, roasted, sautéed, or added to soups and salads, you name it. Potatoes are one of the most versatile and widely consumed vegetables in the world. It originates from the Andes mountains of South America.
Potatoes have become a staple in many cuisines, and one thing people love about this vegetable is its ability to absorb flavors and it complements a wide range of ingredients. This vegetable is rich in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, all of which are healthy for the body. In this article, we’ll look at other foods you can make from a simple potato.
Potato Dishes
While potatoes originated in the Andes mountains, they’ve grown and gained recognition in other parts of the world. Today, you can enjoy different types of potato dishes in whichever country you visit. Some of the well-known potato dishes from other countries include:
Gratin (France): Gratin is a nice French dish made from thinly sliced potatoes. When making this dish, the first thing you have to do is peel the potatoes, and proceed to cut them into thin slices. Then, you’ll layer these slices in a baking dish. Just in between the layers, you’ll add a mix of cream and cheese (whichever one of your choice).
If you check out some Gratin recipes, you’ll see that garlic and herbs are added for extra flavor. If that’s something you fancy, go ahead and add in as much as you’d like. Once everything is nice and layered, you’ll bake it in the oven until the top becomes golden and crispy, but the potatoes are tender.
Hasselback (Sweden): The Swedish have another fun way of preparing potatoes. This potato dish is called the “Hasselback.” This dish is made by taking whole potatoes and making thin slices down the length of each potato. But you aren’t going to cut the slices all through. You’ll stop just before you cut all the way through. This creates little “fans” of the potato.
After slicing, brush the potatoes with melted butter and sprinkle them with salt. Then, bake them in the oven. As they cook nicely, the slices open up and become crispy right at the edges, while the inside stays soft and fluffy. Furthermore, hasselback is often served as a side with meat or any other special treat.
Papa Rellena (Peru): Papa Rellena is a Peruvian dish which is translated to “stuffed potato.” For this dish, you’ll start off by boiling potatoes until they’re soft. Once they are cooked, you’ll mash them into a smooth consistency. For the filling, you’ll cook ground meat (usually beef or chicken) with onions, spices, and sometimes olives or hard-boiled eggs.
Once the filling is ready, you take some mashed potatoes and shape it into a flat circle with your hand. Next, place a spoonful of the meat mixture in the center and then carefully fold the potatoes around it to form a ball or oval shape. Finally, coat the stuffed potatoes in breadcrumbs and deep fry them until golden brown.
Poutine (Canada): Meet Poutine, the Canadian dish that originates from Quebec. This Quebec favorite consists of three main ingredients: french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. The first thing to do when making poutine is to fry your fresh potatoes to give you crispy french fries. Then, top the hot fries with cheese curds. These cheeses are small, great pieces of cheese that melt slightly when hot. Finally, you pour hot gravy over everything, allowing the cheese to soften and the fries to soak up the sauce.
Dum Aloo (India): Dum Aloo is an Indian potato dish. Firstly, you’ll boil small potatoes until they’re partially cooked. Then, you peel them, prick them with a fork to allow the spices to soak in them. In a pan, cook a mixture of tomatoes, yogurt, and spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala, to make a rich sauce.
Once the sauce is ready, you add the potatoes and let them cool on low heat. The potatoes absorb the spices, to give it that flavor. Dum Aloo is typically served with flatbreads like naan.
Bottom Line
Potatoes are not just for making mashed potatoes and fries; they are one of the most flexible vegetables around. They come from the Andes mountains in South America and can be baked, roasted, sautéed, or used in many dishes. Potatoes are also healthy because they are full of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
This article shares different potato dishes from around the world, like Gratin from France, Hasselback from Sweden, Papa Rellena from Peru, Poutine from Canada, and Dum Aloo from India.
