Vegetarian Dish for Patates Yahni: A Soul-Satisfying Greek Staple

Globally, everyday chefs often find themselves turn a simple bag of potatoes into a hearty evening meal. My own cooking adventures could result in a spicy Sri Lankan potato curry, a savory Gujarati version, or even a slow-cooked Spanish tortilla for a cozy occasion. On this occasion, however, the solution comes from Greece. Yahni denotes a traditional Greek preparation technique: produce braised generously in olive oil and tomatoes until perfectly tender. It’s as much a philosophy—it’s a vote of the simple, the patient, and the profoundly good (and yes, it ultimately is a fantastic dinner).

Greek Braised Potatoes

Serve this with warm bread or soft flatbreads for a hearty meal. It also goes perfectly with a assortment of mezze or even served alongside a sunny-side-up egg for a surprisingly good breakfast.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people

You Will Need

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• Fine sea salt
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1kg desiree potatoes (or other waxy variety), cut into 2½cm wedges
• 2 tsp dried oregano, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 x 400g tins of finely chopped tomatoes
• 150g feta cheese
• 75g Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon, finely zested, plus 1 tbsp of juice
• 80g pitted kalamata olives

Instructions

Sautéing the Aromatics

Pour five tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, deep-sided pan that has a fitting lid. Set it over a fairly high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onion slices and a teaspoon of salt. Fry, giving it an occasional stir, for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft enough to yield to a wooden spoon.

Step Two

Add the minced garlic and cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly. Then, toss in the potato wedges and oregano, stirring until they are evenly covered in the oil. Spoon in the tomato puree and cook for one minute. Tip in the chopped tomatoes along with 400ml of water. Let it come to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and leave to cook for 20 minutes.

Step Three

Meanwhile, make the whipped feta. In a small bowl with a hand blender, process the feta, Greek yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, three tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple of good pinches of salt until the mixture is luxuriously creamy.

4. Final Simmer

Stir the pitted kalamata olives into the simmering pot. Continue to simmer uncovered for a further 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife and the sauce has thickened nicely.

5. To Serve

Spoon the warm yahni into shallow bowls. Finish each with a healthy dollop of the whipped feta and a dusting of dried oregano.

Patates yahni is a tribute to the power of few components turned into something special by time and care. Share!