Baseline aloo-matar (peas & potatoes)

This is the absolute basic version of aloo-matar, you can riff off of this in, oh, an infinity of ways (chill powder, fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, whatnot), but hey, you have to start somewhere, right?

Peel and cut up 6 medium russet potatoes into 2cm chunks. Add them to a pan with plenty of water, bring to a boil, and cook till they're basically done - you don't want them to be disintegrating though, stop before that stage.

Meanwhile, toss 500gm frozen peas in the microwave in a bowl, and cook with 2 tbsp water for around 6 minutes till they are, well, cooked.

Put 4 tbsp oil to a pan on medium high heat, and add 2 tsp cumin seeds. Once they are sputtering, add in the potatoes, salt to taste, stir to coat the potatoes with the oil, and - and this is key! - don't stir for a bit, so that the bottom gets golden-brown. Stir a bit to flip the potatoes, and leave alone again - the intention is to get the potatoes to kinda get golden-brown-crunchy-awesome. The amount is something that you basically decide for yourself!

Once the above is done, add in the peas, mix well, and enjoy!