Chtitha Batata (Algerian Potato Stew)

1. Combine garlic, chile pepper, cumin, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and salt in a mortar; grind with a pestle until it forms a paste. Add olive oil and mix dersa well.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and stir-fry dersa until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Add potato halves and stir to combine with the dersa. Stir in tomato paste. Pour in enough water to just cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.
   2–4 minutes40 minutes
3. Ladle potatoes into a serving bowl. Spoon any remaining sauce over the potatoes.

Cooking notes

Most vegetable dishes scale linearly, but be mindful of pan crowding — vegetables that should brown will steam instead if packed too tightly.

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When you scale this recipe up or down, remember that cooking time does not scale linearly. A doubled cake takes longer, but not twice as long; a doubled soup takes roughly twice as long. The cooking-time guide gives sensible starting estimates by dish geometry.