Name: PATATES YAHNI: GREEK-POTATO STEW
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 4-5 medium Russet potatoes, cubed; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, grated; ¼ cup olive oil; ¼ cup water, or more; 16 ounces canned tomatoes, pureed; 2 allspice berries; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; Salt and black pepper; Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional; Finely chopped parsley for garnish; feta cheese and Kalamata olives for serving/garnish

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Patates Yahni is a vegetarian Greek classic! It’s a Greek-style potato stew that’s perfect as a side dish or as a really nice main dish.

I really like to serve my Greek-style potato stew as a main dish with a piece of toasted bread, feta cheese, olives, and a nice salad. Sometimes, I even put a poached egg on top and serve it for brunch. This is definitely one of those delicious recipes that you’re going to want to have as part of your recipe repertoire.

Let’s go over the ingredients:

fresh parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
dried oregano
potatoes
crushed tomatoes or canned tomatoes that are pureed
garlic cloves
Chopped onions
allspice berries (optional)

How to cut the potatoes

Start with your pan over medium heat. This will allow the onions to cook without burning until they’re nice and soft. It takes between 8 to 10 minutes. If you peel the potatoes to prep them beforehand, place them a bowl of water to keep them from browning. Make sure to strain the water off of the potatoes before adding them. Cut them into 1 in. cubes or the size you like best for bite-size pieces. I like to have a little bit of everything on my spoon when I take a bite, so I find 1 in. cubes to be the best size.

Once the onions are nice and soft, grate the garlic with a micro plain and add it into the pan. Just warm it through for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant. If the garlic burns, it becomes very bitter. Then, add the potatoes in along with a can of crushed tomatoes or any pureed tomatoes that you have. Go ahead and add some salt, pepper, some crushed red pepper flakes, a little bit of oregano, and some water.

What if I don’t have allspice berries?

If you have some allspice berries, definitely add them. They add a warm, subtle peppery depth of flavor to the stew. If you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry! The oregano and pepper will still be enough to make the stew delicious.

Let the stew simmer over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender. Every now and then, give it a stir to make sure that there’s enough liquid in the pot for the potatoes to cook.

When it’s done, you may need to add some more salt and pepper. Then, just chop up the parsley and sprinkle it right on top. Serve it with crumbled feta cheese and some Kalamata olives.

The combination of the olives with the potatoes and the tomato sauce go so well together. It’s a nice hearty dish that you can serve with crusty bread or as a delicious side dish.