Irish Bombay Potatoes (The Best Curried Potatoes in the World)

Heat oven to 200°C (390°F).

You can peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled. Quarter the potatoes and place in large bowl. Add salt, tomato paste, curry paste, curry powder, and oil. Give it all a good mix and make sure each potato is well covered.

Layer the potatoes over a large oven tray and place in oven.

After 15 minutes, remove from oven and (if using) add dried basil and garlic. Roughly flip potatoes and ensure the basil is mixed in. Cook for another 10–15 minutes—the potatoes should be easy to pierce with a fork. If using fresh basil and garlic, add them about 5 minutes before the end of cooking, once again making sure it is all mixed in.

Serve (with malt vinegar if desired) as a side dish or with dips like yoghurt, hummus or creme fraiche.

Alternate method:
To get an even crispier yet still fluffy texture to the potatoes, follow the first steps of preparation as above. After cooking for 15 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven. Add the dried basil and garlic (if using) Let cool for 5 minutes, then put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove again and let cool, followed by another 5 minutes of cooking. Repeat twice more, adding the fresh basil and garlic (if using) before the final 5 minutes of cooking. These Bombay potatoes are unbeatable.

Notes:
1. If you think the potatoes need it, add more oil while cooking. Don’t let them get too crispy (or black).
2. If the spices/paste/herbs start to burn on the baking tray, move the potatoes individually across to a new tray or new baking paper and continue cooking. It won’t take long and the outcome is more than worth the effort.