Step 1

Crush a 1/2-inch piece of ginger and 3 cloves of garlic along with 1 tsp of cumin into a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and when they start to sputter, add the onions. Saute until the onion turns translucent.

Step 3

Add the curry leaves along with the crushed cumin, ginger and garlic. Saute for a few seconds.

Step 4

Add the potatoes along with the turmeric, garam masala and cayenne. Give it all a good stir, add two cups of water, and bring the curry to a boil.

Step 5

Cover the saucepan with a lid and let the curry cook 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. If you want your curry to thicken a bit, you can crush some of the potatoes with a ladle.

Step 6

Add salt and garnish, if you wish, with cilantro. Serve hot.