Batata Harra
Batata Harra is a Lebanese dish made with crispy potato cubes tossed with garlic, cilantro, chili, and lemon juice. You can bake, air fry, or deep fry the potatoes, and the recipe is naturally vegan.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 265kcal
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes (2 ⅕ lbs - 1 kg)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon separately)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon red pepper paste
- 1 cup cilantro (chopped)
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200° C - 390° F.
- Peel, wash, and cube the potatoes into 2 cm - ¾ inch pieces.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined tray, without overlapping each other.
- Drizzle the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
- Then, roast the potatoes in the oven until they are golden brown, crispy, and fork-tender. This should take about 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through for even cooking.
- Prepare the sauce while the potatoes are roasting. Finely chop the garlic and place a pan over low heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the chopped garlic.
- Gently sauté the garlic over low heat, without burning it.
- Stir in the red pepper paste, chili flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Finally, add the chopped cilantro/coriander to the pan and remove it from the heat.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, toss them in the garlic and cilantro mixture before serving them with your favorite meal.
- Top off the dish with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with additional cilantro/coriander leaves for added flavor and freshness.
Notes
- Use waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold, Charlotte, or red potatoes. They hold their shape better than starchy russets.
- Cut the potatoes into even pieces so they cook at the same speed.
- Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes and dry them well before cooking. For the crispiest result, parboil the cubes for 5 minutes first.
- Give the potatoes space on the tray. A crowded tray steams them instead of crisping them.
- Adjust the chili to your taste. Start small, you can always add more at the end.
- Add the fresh cilantro at the end, off the heat. Parsley or mint work as swaps.
- The dish is at its best fresh. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer, not the microwave.
- I do not recommend freezing this dish. The texture suffers once the potatoes thaw.
Nutrition
Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 947mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 428IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg