I think I have mentioned before that I have a strong love for the not so usual ethnic foods. I mean, I enjoy the ubiquitous Italian, Chinese and Mexican (most of which will be sadly Americanized), but when I really get excited is when I try something Indian or Thai or Middle Eastern. It all starts with the smells. The scents of what, to most Americans are, exotic spices, wafting through the house, just makes me happy. It also make me drool copiously but I just wear a bib and hope no one notices. It’s a cute bib with little pink duckies. Wait…too much info? Then the flavors, which may be familiar to those who grew up with them, but to my American palate, are still exciting, even though I have been eating and cooking “foreign” foods for close to 2 decades now.

So the following recipe is one I was so happy to find. I mean, what more does one need? It sends wonderful smells through the house while at the same time, it’s not so unusual as to make my kids balk. It also is made with potatoes that end up ultra buttery and ultra crispy. Crispy potatoes ftw!!

How did I get this recipe, you say? I was asked by a dear friend if I wanted to be part of a facebook based blogger group called Blogger C.L.U.E. Society (ok, so she actually said I had no choice so I may as well just gracefully accept) where, every month, we feature a recipe from a fellow blogger in the group. The twist is that we don’t know who has who until the day the blog posts go live and, the challenging part for me, as is obvious to anyone who has been reading here for a while, is that we can’t really modify the recipe. We are to keep it the way it was written. Do you have ANY idea how hard that was for me?!  We search the blog we are given for a recipe fitting that months theme- this months is “Food that you’d love to have on your Thanksgiving table”. I was all over that theme. You all know how much I love the foods this time of the year. This month I was tickled to get the blog Lawyer Loves Lunch. Azmina was a new blogger to me; I’m not sure how I had missed her! I love her dry wit and writing style and I absolutely LOVE these potatoes Crispy, buttery and they made my house smell fantastic. I will still have to make regular mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving or my family will lynch me, but I also plan on making a batch of these.

You know the drill…. 🙂

Crispy Tandoori Smashed Potatoes

• 1 lb mini Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper

1. Boil potatoes in a large pot in salted water until they are easily pierced but not falling apart.
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with oil (I also lined mine with foil to make cleanup quicker). Line up the potatoes on the sheet with about 2 inches between each one.
3. Use a potato masher to smash each potato. You want more or less flat potatoes with nice ridges on them, to help hold all the buttery goodness.
4. In a small bowl, microwave the butter and spices. Brush each potato with some of the spiced butter.
5. Bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and crispy and browned around the edges.

What did we think- we loved them! Like I said up there, buttery, crispy potatoes with a ton of flavor. What’s not to love?

What would I maybe change up next time?-  I think I might add a bit more of the spices, plus maybe add some curry powder or garam masala.  Otherwise, not a thing. These are delicious!

There are some other bloggers in this group who you really need to check out. I have a list for you of everyone who is participating. Go and give them a look and see who they got and what delicious recipe THEY chose to make! Somewhere in there you’ll find the person who got my blog *bites nails nervously* I don’t know who it is, just know that I hope they liked whatever they created!

• Arugula Salad With Baked Goat Cheese And Rosemary Honey by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Black Walnut Cake by Christy from Culinary Diva
• Cauliflower with Garlic and Sage by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Chicken Curry by Christiane from Taking On Magazines
• Crispy Tandoori Smashed Potatoes by Janet from From Cupcakes to Caviar
• Honey Glazed Carrots with Cherries by Kelli from Kelli’s Kitchen
• Lemony Cheese Risotto by Debra from Eliots Eats
• Lisa’s Brussels Sprouts by Kate from Kate’s Kitchen
• Onion Biscuits by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Orange Fluff Jello Salad by Ramona from Curry and Comfort
• Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Pumpkin Spice Cake by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Pumpkin Spice Spiked Latte by Kathy from Bakeaway With Me
• Roasted or Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro and Lime by Kim from Liv Life
• Spicy Cheesy Bacon Ranch Muffins by Anna from Anna Dishes
• Spinach Soufflé by Susan from Create Amazing Meals
• Susu’s Grand Marnier Orange Cranberry Sauce by Alice from A Mama Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake