These garlic mashed potatoes are luscious, creamy, and smooth. All the garlic goodness without the dairy. The flavors are intensified when you take the diary out of the equation. Try for yourself and see! Vegan
There is something very earthy and comforting in potatoes. I love them in curries, with rice, roasted, stuffed in flatbreads, fried, the list goes no. Regular mashed potatoes are not on the top of the list though. The reason is simple, I am not a big fan of dairy products. I need to taste the potatoes – and that is where my vegan mashed potatoes. Garlic is just a bonus!
Potatoes are … wait for it .. almost a complete food https://www.popsci.com/nutrition-single-food-survival/ ! Mind you I am not advocating a diet of meat and potatoes or dairy and potatoes. All I am saying is that potatoes are great and there is no reason for anyone to be ashamed about counting it as part of a healthy diet.
That said if a large portion of your diet consists of potatoes, then try to vary the type of potatoes and make sure to leave some skin on.
You will be surprised to find that it is low in calories as well, compared to regular mashed potatoes. Of course, I could snack on a few sticks of carrots or cucumber for a leaner meal. But, it is winter and, one needs a few extra calories 😉
All the ingredients needed for vegan garlic mashed potatoes
- Potatoes (I love Yukon Gold here )
- Garlic
- Oil (Olive or any neutral flavor)
- Salt & Pepper
- Scallions / chives
Choosing the Potatoes
Choosing the right potato for this dish makes a huge difference. Starchy Russets are preferred by some when making mash potatoes while others swear by Yukon Golds. In the traditional recipes, a lot of the textural differences are compensated by the fat and creaminess of the dairy. Unfortunately, that is not the case here.
Russets make a darn good mash, but in my opinion, they lack in the flavor department. This is a perfectly good choice in the dairy-based versions to showcase the creaminess. Here we need a potato that has its own flavor and can be mashed smooth – so buttery Yukon Gold it is. Their pale golden color is a bonus to me.
Cooking the Potatoes
I prefer to cook the potatoes with the skin on, usually in a regular pressure cooker or in the instant pot. When cooking on the stovetop I prefer to cut them into pieces of the same thickness (as in the video) to facilitate even cooking.
I leave the skin on the potatoes while cooking. The skin has a lot of flavors and some of it seeps through even if we peel and discard it after cooking. I reserve a little of the potato cooking liquid as well, though it is rarely needed later.
As long as the potatoes are not overcooked (to the point where they are falling apart and dissolving into the water), draining them in a colander will be enough. If overcooked, place the drained potatoes back in the pot and cook on low heat. Shake the pot a few times to evenly heat all sides of the potatoes and dry any extra moisture.
Garlic
I like garlic, but I do not like to bite into them. Most of the garlicky mashed potatoes call for roasted garlic. It is lovely, but unless I am making a slow-cooked meal in the oven or grill I do not roast garlic. In my point of view, it is a waste of energy to heat the grill or oven just to roast 1 or 2 heads of garlic.
Instead, I use garlic-infused oil. It works as well or better and can be made in as large or as small quantities as you want in very little time.
Making the Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Cook the potatoes in salted water as mentioned in the above sections. One cooked and drained wait for a few minutes for the surface of the potatoes to cool. Peel the skin and mash it (use a ricer or use masher or even a sturdy spoon will work here).
Once the potatoes are almost lump-free beginning to look fluffy add 3 tbsp oil (1 batch of the recipe) and ground pepper along with more salt if needed. Fold in these seasonings making sure to mix everything well.
Transfer to the serving bowl and top with the remaining garlic oil.
Serving
Sprinkle the chopped scallions/ chives on top.
You could also top it with butter/vegan butter, gravy, or more herbs. As for me, I like these with just a load of scallions or chives.
Storage
Any leftovers can be refrigerated tightly covered for up to 2 days. I find that the taste significantly degrades if refrigerated longer.
It does not freeze well, so I would not recommend it.
Here are a few recipes to try with the leftovers
- Aloo Paratha
- Aloo Kulcha
- Use instead of potatoes in vegetable cutlets
- Add a portion to the herbed garlic rolls
Variations
You could increase the amount of garlic, but I find that with 6 medium-sized cloves to be very flavorful without being overpoweringly so.
A few finely chopped chives can be stirred in with the garlic oil to give a textural contrast in the mash.
Add a pinch of turmeric to the oil as you turn the heat off to create a golden garlic oil. This will give the potatoes a lovely yellow color.
Add ½ tsp to 1 tsp red chili flakes to the oil along with the garlic. This will make the oil more smoky and spicy and add a slight red tinge to it as well.
Garlicky Mashed Potatoes (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 lb Starchy Potatoes like Yukon Gold Note
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- 4 Tbsp Pure Olive oil or any neutral oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt Divided
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup Scallions or chives Chopped
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. In a pressure cooker place the potatoes and add about 2 C water and with 1 tsp salt and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally and drain reserving about ¼ C potato cooking water. Alternately arrange the potatoes in a saucepan, halving them in size to make all of them of similar thickness. Pouring enough water to cover the potatoes. Add salt and bring to boil. Cook on medium heat (gentle boil) for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size until the potatoes are cooked through. To test insert a knife into the largest piece and it should slide through to the center smoothly.
- Heat a small saute pan with the oil. Finely mince or grate the garlic. When the oil is hot add the garlic to it and reduce the heat to low. Stir and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Turn off the heat. Let the oil cool for a few minutes and strain.
- Skin the drained and slightly cooled potatoes. Mash your potatoes using either a potato masher or sturdy spoon ( or use a ricer) until fluffy. When the potatoes are almost smooth, slowly start adding the garlic oil (3 tbsp) and keep mixing. When the desired texture is reached fold in the pepper and more salt if needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining garlic oil on top and sprinkle the scallions.
Video
Notes
- Yukon Gold are my potatoes of choice here.
- 2 lbs translate to roughly 6 medium-sized Yukon golds.
Nutrition
Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.
mtr
Tuesday 8th of December 2020
so dilicious