Name: Nepalese potato and cucumber pickle salad
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients: 250g potatoes peeled and cut into chunks; 1 cucumber cut into chunks; 100g sesame seeds; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp garam masala (optional); ¼ tsp hot chilli powder; ½ tsp freshly ground black peppercorns; 1 lime juiced (adjust to taste); 1 tsp timmur powder or sichuan pepper (optional); 50ml sunflower or vegetable oil; 1 tbsp fenugreek or cumin seeds; 1 green chillies finely chopped; 1 tsp ground turmeric; a handful of coriander finely chopped

A blue oval dish of potato salad with a small bowl f herbs on a red cloth

250g potatoes
peeled and cut into chunks
1 cucumber
cut into chunks
100g sesame seeds
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp garam masala
(optional)
¼ tsp hot chilli powder
½ tsp freshly ground black peppercorns
1 lime
juiced (adjust to taste)
1 tsp timmur powder or sichuan pepper
(optional)
50ml sunflower or vegetable oil
1 tbsp fenugreek or cumin seeds
1 green chillies
finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
a handful of coriander
finely chopped

Method

step 1
Boil the potatoes and, once cooked, drain and transfer them to a big bowl. Add the cucumber.
step 2
In a small frying pan, toast the sesame seeds over a medium heat – stir constantly as they need to be evenly browned. Once toasted, cool slightly, then use a high-powered blender or food processor to blitz them to a powder.
step 3
Add the ground sesame seeds, cumin, ground coriander, garam masala (if using), chilli powder, pepper, the juice of 1 lime, timmur (if using) and a big pinch of salt to the potato and cucumber mixture. Mix well.
step 4
Heat the oil in a small pan over a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fenugreek seeds. Once they darken slightly, turn off the heat, then add the chillies and ground turmeric. Immediately and carefully pour this over the potato and cucumber mixture. Add the fresh coriander. Wait a few minutes for the oil to cool down, then mix well. Add 50ml-100ml of water to make it saucy. Season with salt and more lime juice, if needed.