Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        ***SPICE PASTE***
   1      tablespoon    black peppercorns
   1      tablespoon    coriander seed
   1      tablespoon    cumin seed
   1                    half-inch piece cinnamon -- (or less --
                        indian cinnamon is less strong than
                        what's available in the us -- or so i think)
   8                    cloves
   1      piece         fresh ginger root -- peeled
   4      medium        potatoes
                        asafoetida
                        salt
                        oil

Preparation:

Peel and boil the potatoes until they're about half-done, cut into bite-sized pieces. Grind spices into a paste. Put 3 tablespoons of oil in pan, add a pinch of asafoetida, the spice paste. Fry the paste for a couple of minutes, add the potato, stir to coat with the paste, add water to cover, add salt, cover pan and boil until the spices are cooked and sauce has thickened