Batata Harra (means spicy potato salad) Batata Harra is a Lebanese mezzah dish of crispy, golden-hued diced potatoes doused in a zesty-garlicky dressing speckled with fresh fragrant parsley.

Where did I learn the best Batata Harra 

The first and best experience of BATATA HARRA was at a Lebanese restaurant with the name of “Autre Part”.

“Autre Part” was a Lebanese restaurant located in Algiers, the Algerian capital where I lived for almost a year.  Back then,  I was a newly-wed with, admittedly, mediocre culinary skills.

To save the day, my husband and I were loyal customers at “Autre Part” restaurant, to the point where the waiters didn’t mind sharing with us one or two of their recipes secrets. An epic “Batatta Harra” (or spicy potatoes hot salad) was one of them.

 

You can augment the heat in this dish by increasing the amount of cayenne.  I like mine to be moderately fiery.

When I entertain, I fancy serving Batata Harra as part of a Meditteranean spread or as a side dish next to Kababs.

 

Success Tips 

• Sumac

Traditionally, sumac is the hero spice in this recipe, it adds a distinct lemony flavor and gives the potatoes an edge and exotic streak. Sumac is a levantine pantry staple, that is rich in Vitamin C and is used in marinating protein and spiking bland vegetables. Luckily, excellent qualities of sumac are now available on Amazon. Check this Ziyad product. In addition to sumac, I like the peppery note of sweet paprika and occasionally the heat of cayenne.

• Fried to Perfection 

No need to deep fry the potatoes.  There is a healthier way to do it, which is boiling the potatoes first in enough water, until you can easily pierce it with a knife. Let it cool and then peel the skin. Dice the potatoes and rub them with enough oil and spices and then oven fry them in a preheated oven at 400° F/

200 °C, or shallow fry them before dousing them in the dressing.

Level of Difficulty 

If you can crack an egg, then you can probably make BATATA HARRA. It is as easy as boiling potatoes and mixing the dressing.

The key is to serve this dish sizzling hot or warm so the potatoes are still crispy.

Check More Lebanese/Levantine Recipes On My Blog 

You might also like these vegan Levantine recipes:

• Fatayer Sabanekh

• Zaatar Manakeesh 

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Batata Harra

 

Recipe credit to the restaurant “Autre Part”, Algiers. 

Serves 4 people

INGREDIENTS

• 4 big russet potatoes or 15 new potatoes
• 1/4 cup canola oil

The Dressing 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or 1 tablespoon garlic powder 
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1  1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2  teaspoon sumac
• 1/4 cayenne pepper, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS 

1. Prepare the dressing.  In a mixing cup, add the oil, lime juice, vinegar, spices, and crushed garlic and set aside.
2. Boil the potatoes.  Bring the potatoes, skin on, to a vigorous boil, over high heat, in a heavy bottom pot half-filled with water.  Don’t overcook the potatoes. They should slightly soften but stay firm. Discard the water. Let the potatoes cool down.  Peel and slice in one-inch thickness. Dice the slices.
3. Shallow fry the potatoes.  In a shallow frying pan, heat the canola oil, when it starts to sizzle add the diced potatoes. Coat them in oil and stir them around until they are golden and crispy. Remove the diced potatoes with a slotted spoon to the serving dish. Or you can simply oven bake them in a preheated oven at 400° F/200 °C.
4. Pour the dressing over the hot potatoes and serve immediately.

NERMINE’S NOTES:

• This dish is best served warm.