Home / Middle Eastern Recipes / Batata Harra: Middle Eastern Skillet Potatoes

Batata Harra: Middle Eastern Skillet Potatoes

Name: Batata Harra: Middle Eastern Skillet Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: serves 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern/Vegetarian
Ingredients: 6 medium-sized gold potatoes, peeled; Water; 3 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tsp coriander seeds or a little more than 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, more for later; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 lime, juice of; 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves; 1 cup chopped fresh dill; Salt and pepper

February 24, 2019 · Updated May 23, 2019 · By Suzy · 70 Comments

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If you haven’t tried Batata Harra yet, you are in for a treat! These quick Middle Eastern skillet potatoes pack tons of flavor from garlic, fresh herbs, and a unique mix of warm spices. A splash of lime juice adds a little extra brightness.

These vegan and gluten-free spicy potatoes are such a versatile dish that comes together in 25 minutes or less! Be sure to see the video and step-by-step tutorial below.

What is Batata Harra?

Batata Harra literally means spicy potatoes–a fairly popular Middle Eastern skillet potatoes dish.

Batata Harra is a versatile dish that you can think of both as a side or or even a unique potato salad. And you will find several variations of it throughout the Middle East.

In some countries, Batata Harra is extremely spicy, thanks to the the addition of harrisa paste. But in places like Egypt, where I grew up, you’ll find these skillet potatoes to be subtly spicy with just a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, relying more on garlic, fresh herbs and warm spices like turmeric for flavor.

Today’s batata harra skillet potatoes lean more toward the Egyptian version; no surprise to you. It is not overwhelmingly spicy, and you can certainly adjust the spice level to your liking.

Ways to serve these Spicy Skillet Potatoes

I like to serve batata harra as a simple side dish. It goes well with many meat dishes including baked kofta; chicken souvlaki; or even pan-seared trout. But it’s also meant to be enjoyed at room temperature as a potato salad; great with a dollop of Tzatziki sauce or plain Greek yogurt.

If you’re up for a big mezze feast, definitely add these skillet potato next to other small dishes like hummus; roasted eggplant; tabouli; couscous salad or Tuscan white bean salad with shrimp.

Here’s Batata Harra Step-by-step

1. First, boil peeled potatoes in water

2. Once potatoes are well cooked through (they should be soft in the middle that you can easily stick a fork through), drain and let cool briefly. Cut potatoes into cubes.

4. Now the flavoring fun begins! Heat some EVOO in a large skillet and cook garlic with red pepper flakes and coriander seed over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add turmeric and lemon juice (your kitchen will small like heaven!)

4. Now toss in the potatoes and make sure to coat them well with the lemony spice mixture. Add fresh herbs and toss again to coat. Let potatoes cook a few more minutes in skillet.

5. The final touches! Remove from heat and add more red pepper flakes (you don’t have to if it’s already spicy enough for you). Add more of the fresh herbs as well.

Watch the Video for How to Make Batata Harra Skillet Potatoes