Braised Potatoes (Cartofi Inabusiti)

Name: Braised Potatoes (Cartofi Inabusiti)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: East European, Romanian
Ingredients: 5 medium potato; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium onion; 3 cloves garlic; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup water

How to make the Romanian classic dish called Cartofi Inabusiti or Braised Potatoes in English. With fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil!

by Cory Varga

Updated 21 December 2024

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Braised Potatoes called Cartofi Inabusiti in Romanian is a quick and easy vegan recipe. Cook these braised potatoes if you are trying to cut down on oil, and are in need of a healthier alternative which tastes just as delicious. This braised potato recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make and the result is a vegan dish with garlic and onion flavours.

Plate of braised potatoes (cartofi inabusiti)

We love making braised potato because I grew up with this food. My mother would make cartofi inabusiti all the time because she knew how much I love potatoes. Also trying to cut down on much frying oil, we all found that braised potatoes are the perfect recipe for the whole family.

Make braised potatoes for a quick lunch, or alternatively, use braised potatoes as a fantastic side dish to foods like vegan steak or vegan sausages.

How to make braised potatoes (cartofi inabusiti)

Braising means to fry the food slightly then stew it slowly in a closed container. So to braise potatoes you will need to first fry them in a little olive oil, then stew them with simple water. The process is simple, and anyone can do it.

The result will be some fluffy potatoes on the inside and crispy on the outside. Here's how to do the perfect braised potatoes (cartofi inabusiti).

serve braised potatoes hot

First, make sure to gather around all your ingredients to make it easier to cook the dish. You will need 5 medium potatoes, peeled, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 garlic cloves, a little salt and 1 cup of water. You can also use 1 tsp of ground oregano if you want a herbier flavour to your braised potatoes.

As you can see making our braised potato recipe is also affordable as you just need basic ingredients from your pantry.

How to make braised potatoes step 1: cut potatoes into wedges

Once you've peeled your potatoes, wash them, then cut them into thick wedges. Don't cut the wedges too thin because they might break during the cooking process. I normally cut the potatoes into 4 - 6 wedges.

In a large pan, heat up the olive oil. Carefully add the potato wedges to the pan and fry the potatoes on medium heat for around 2-3 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the potatoes wedges so all sides get equally fried. You know they are ready when the sides become slightly golden.

Add the salt, the water and cover the pan. Braise on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed, turning the potatoes from time to time. Carefully turn the potatoes, to make sure they don't break.

How to make braised potatoes step 2: fry in shallow olive oil

Use this time to cut the onion and the garlic cloves. When the water is absorbed, add the onion over the potatoes. Using a spatula, mix the potatoes in the pan. Be very careful as the potatoes wedges can break at this time. They are very delicate.

Uncover the pan and let the potatoes fry until they become golden-brown, mixing carefully from time to time.

Just before the potatoes are ready, add the garlic and oregano and mix the potatoes to evenly distribute the ingredients. Let the potatoes cook for one minute. Serve hot!

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.