Slowly bring your pot to medium-high heat. To avoid thermal shock, start no more than half-way up your dial.
Once your pot gets nice and hot—think pancake cooking hot, where splashed water beads and runs before fizzling into nothing—lightly wipe the interior with vegetable oil.
Next, pour in 2T of a vegetable oil with a high smoke point.
Once the oil is hot, turn down the heat and add panch phoron, dried or fresh chillies, and wait until you hear your mustard seeds pop.
Next add ginger, turmeric, hing, sugar, and chick-pea flour. Sauté this mixture in oil until the flour takes on a deep golden colour.
Toss in your chopped potatoes so they are coated with masala. Add dry spices, water, and 2T of tomato paste. Stir.
Cover and let cook on medium-low at least 25 minutes. Then, take off the lid carefully, and peer in. Most likely—depending on the variety of potatoes you have chosen—you will need to be patient a while longer.
Once they are tender and ready garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, lemon or lime juice and a pinch of salt. Keep in mind that salt added during cooking will mostly go straight into your spuds, so the salt you add at this point will be the salt your guests taste. Don’t go crazy, but don’t skimp either.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro salt to taste and wedges of lemon or lime.