This Greek potatoes stew in tomato sauce is such a simple and easy dish that will become one of your midweek meals. It takes less than an hour to prepare and cook and has only a few ingredients. In Greece, the tomato-based stews are called yahni so this dish is known as potatoes yahni and is made in the pot, cooked slowly in medium-low heat until the potatoes are soft and the sauce gets nice and thick. All the flavor and aromas come from the spices that are added to the sauce but as most of Greek dishes, this is not a hot spicy one. It has a sweetness from the tomatoes and aromas from the bay leaves and allspice.
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Why you should try my recipe
- A dish full of flavor and very aromatic.
- Great as a side dish or main with some bread and cheese on the side.
- Stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Nice idea for babies, little children and picky eaters.
Ingredients & How-to
The main ingredients for these Greek potatoes in tomato sauce are potatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, allspice kernels, olive oil, salt and pepper.
What potatoes to use for the stew
I prefer to use Maris Piper potatoes because they help to get a nice thick tomato sauce and they hold their shape fairly well without breaking. Some other type of potatoes that do well in stews are Desiree and Charlotte as they don’t fall apart when cooked and tossed. If the skin is very thin and light then you could also leave it on for the stew.
01. I start with preparing all the vegetables. I’m using 5-6 medium potatoes, around 1kg / 2lb. I peel them and cut them into 4 or 6 depending on size.
02. Then I chop the onion into small cubes and finely cut the garlic cloves. All my ingredients are now ready to be cooked.
03. As with most stews, I first add the oil to a big pot and sauté the onion for a few minutes. That helps to get all the sweetness of the onion out.
04. Now, I add the tomato paste and cook it for a minute. This helps to get all the flavor and oil from the tomato paste out, that is going to make my stew taste delicious.
05. Then I add the chopped tomatoes and the seasoning and give it stir to incorporate everything. For the seasoning, I’m using a couple of bay leaves, salt, freshly ground pepper and 3-4 allspice kernels. The tomato sauce is not going to be spicy hot but very aromatic and full of flavor. If you can’t get hold of allspice kernels, then you could add ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice.
06. Now, it’s time for the potatoes. I add the potatoes to the pot and mix them with the sauce. Before closing with the lid, I add about 2-3 cups of water until the potatoes are almost covered and cook in medium to low heat until easy to prick with a fork.
Now, an important thing when making this tomato potatoes stew, is not to stir too much the potatoes while cooking. As they are easy to break, especially when they get soft towards the end, you should gently move the pot or just dip a wooden spoon to see if you need to add any more water to avoid burning the bottom of the sauce. Also, remember that after you turn off the heat, if you leave the potatoes covered with the lid inside the pot, they will continue to cook for a few minutes, so it’s better to turn off the heat when they are easy to prick and they hold their shape rather than overcooking them and then become mushy.
Serving suggestions
We love having this Greek tomato potatoes stew as a side with meat or fish. It’s also great on its own with some feta cheese on the side or crumbled on top and a generous slice of bread to dip in the tomato sauce.
Storage
You can store any leftovers of the potatoes stew in tomato sauce in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Just warm it up in the microwave or a small pot for a couple of minutes and serve. I don’t recommend storing them in the freezer as the potatoes don’t taste nice when defrosted. They become soggy and have a funny texture and taste.
FAQ
I like to use Maris Piper potatoes for stews, as they are high in starch and act as a thickening agent for the stews sauce. Some other types that do well in stews are Desiree and Charlotte, with the benefit of holding their shape well when cooked in stews and not breaking easily.
You could use 2-3 ripe tomatoes that you blend in a food processor or canned chopped tomatoes. If you decide to use fresh tomatoes, then you don’t need to add a lot of water to the stew when cooking, as the fresh tomatoes are more watery.
Yes, it is suitable for babies from 6 months old if you don’t add any salt while cooking. Make sure you remove the allspice kernels after the stew is cooked to avoid any accidents.
Recipe
Greek Tomato Potatoes Stew
This Greek potatoes stew in tomato sauce is so easy to prepare, with just a few simple ingredients and ready in less than an hour. You could have it as a side dish with your main or by itself with some crumbled feta cheese on top and a slice of bread to dip in the thick and aromatic tomato sauce. Enjoy!
4 servings
10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium potatoes (1 kg / 2 lb)
- 1 onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup (200gr) chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 allspice kernels
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing and cutting the vegetables. Cut the onion into small cubes, finely chop the garlic cloves, peel the potatoes and cut them into 4 or 6 pieces depending on the size.
- Add the olive oil to a pot and heat up over medium to high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute while keep stirring to get all the flavor out.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, allspice kernel and stir to mix. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add the potatoes and mix with the tomato sauce. Add 2-3 cups of water so the potatoes are almost covered.
- Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are easy to prick and the sauce is thicker. Do check occasionally in case you need to add more water.
- Serve whilst still warm with a sprinkle of freshly cut parsley or some crumbled feta cheese on top.
Notes
- You could use any type of potatoes you like and have available in your pantry. I recommend potatoes that tend to hold their shape and don't break easily when cooked like Maris Piper or Desiree.
- Instead of canned tomatoes, you could use 3 medium tomatoes that you grate or chop.
- If you don't have allspice kernels you could use ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice.
Storage
You can store any leftover Greek tomato potatoes stew in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
