Spicy Potato Patties with Spinach and a Yogurt Sauce

Once again I find myself modifying a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman. My garden is producing loads of spinach right now so this was a perfect way to cook some of it. I highly recommend using fresh spinach. It only takes a few minutes to steam in the microwave and the flavor is so good. The longest part of this recipe is waiting for the potatoes to cook. If you want to get real fancy, cook the patties in a combination of ghee and oil.

For the patties:

2 lbs. red skinned boiling potatoes
3/4 lb fresh spinach
1 fresh, hot chile pepper (jalapeno or serrano), minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to tast

wheat-free breadcrumbs
oil for frying

For the yogurt sauce:

4 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon garlic oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the patties, cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks (don’t bother peeling) and steam them over an inch of water for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Drain. Dump them into a large bowl and mash roughly with a fork.  Leave it somewhat chunky. While the potatoes are steaming, clean the spinach, tear into into bits, put it in a microwave-safe dish, cover it and microwave for 3 minutes, stirring once. The spinach should be thoroughly wilted. Let cool. When cool, squeeze out as much water as you can, then chop the spinach. Add the spinach, chile, spices, and lemon juice to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly. When cool enough to handle, form the potato mixture into patties. I got 7 burger-sized patties out of this. Dredge the patties in the breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil for about 4 minutes per side, until lightly browned and heated through. Serve with yogurt sauce if desired.

To make the yogurt sauce, combine the ingredients. For best flavor, let it sit for an hour before serving.