This Indian potato curry is one of the easiest curry recipes that gets ready in just 20 minutes and needs only a handful of basic ingredients. Also, known as vrat wale aloo or aloo tamatar ki sabzi in India it's specially made during Indian festivals like Navratri or Shivratri.
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I think potato is an ingredient which is loved by almost everyone in this world. I still haven't met a single person who doesn't like potatoes.
In India also potatoes are eaten in a lot of different ways. There are even hundreds of different ways of making curry using potatoes.
Today I am sharing the simplest potato curry recipe that you will ever find that gets ready in just 20 minutes and tastes delicious. It's also called vrat wale aloo or aloo tamatar ki sabzi.
Aloo is the Hindi word for potato, tamatar is tomato, and sabzi means a vegetable dish.
This easy potato curry is mainly eaten during the Hindu fasting festivals like Navratri and Shivratri. During these festivals, people follow a strict vegetarian diet that too without onion and garlic. There are a lot of other ingredients which are not allowed to be eaten during this time that's why this dish is made with a handful of basic ingredients.
However, this simple curry is so delicious and easy to make that people love making it on regular days too.
If you like eating potatoes, I am sure this effortless simple potato curry recipe will now be cooked regularly in your kitchen.
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What goes in Indian potato curry?
To make this easy vegan curry, only the following ingredients will be needed:
- Boiled potato cubes
- Tomato: Use a nice juicy variety
- Grated ginger: Ginger powder can also be used
- Green chili pepper
- Fresh cilantro
- Spices & seasoning: Salt, ground black pepper, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, and cumin seeds. You can also add kasoori methi, cumin powder, and garam masala. If you want to use red chili powder only for color use Kashmiri red chili powder. It's mild but gives a bright red color to the dish.
- Cooking oil: Mustard oil/ any neutral-flavored oil. If you use mustard oil for cooking, heat it till the smoking point then switch off the gas. Allow the oil to reach room temperature before adding any ingredient to it. Non-vegans may also use ghee (Indian clarified butter)
- Water
Which potato is the best for this curry?
You can use any type of potato in this potato curry. Even baby potatoes are fine. The starchier, the better. Starchy potatoes help in making creamier gravy.
Serving suggestions
The most popular way of enjoying vrat wale aloo is with poori which is deep fried Indian bread. However, it tastes delicious with every Indian bread like roti or paratha.
You can also enjoy this simple vegan potato curry with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.
Can it be made with raw potatoes?
Whenever I make a dish that needs boiled potatoes, I save a few boiled potatoes to make aloo tamatar ki sabzi.
However, if you don't have boiled potatoes and want to make it using raw potatoes, you can still make this potato curry. The process will remain the same but will take a longer time to get ready.
Add raw potato cubes once the tomatoes are cooked. Add water and let the potatoes get cooked in tomato gravy. Once cooked mash some of the potatoes.
Recipe tips and tricks
- The potato curry recipe which I have shared here is the way it's made during Indian fasting festivals when there is a lot of restriction on the ingredients that can be used. If you are not making this curry for these festivals, you can also add onion and garlic to it.
- More ingredients like boiled peas or boiled chickpeas can also be added to this curry.
- Don't miss to mash some potato cubes in the curry. The broken potatoes release starch and make the curry thick and creamy. Traditionally, while making vrat wale aloo, the boiled potatoes are broken by pressing them between fingers before adding to the curry. This makes uneven potato pieces and the tiny ones or the mashed ones help in making thick potato curry.
- Every family in India has a different tradition of what can be eaten or not during these festivals. So, if you are making it for festival purposes check your traditions before following this recipe. What I know is that a lot of people don't even use turmeric powder and tomatoes during this time.
More easy vegan/ vegetarian potato recipes
If you are looking for more easy potato recipes then don't miss to check the following recipes:
- Oven baked potato wedges (vegan)
- Moroccan style baked potatoes (vegan)
- Aloo ke gutke (vegan)
- Greek potato salad (vegan)
- Aloo ka raita (vegetarian)
- Aloo paratha (vegetarian)
- Tandoori aloo (vegetarian)
- Simple potato soup (vegetarian)
Easy Navratri recipes
Looking for easy Navratri recipes to celebrate the festival? The following links are worth trying:
Step by step photo instructions
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Recipe
Indian potato curry
Equipment
- Cooking pot/ wok
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiled potato cubes around 3 medium-sized potatoes
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder adjust as per taste
- A pinch of gluten free asafoetida optional but recommended
- Ground black pepper as per taste
- Salt as per taste Use Himalayan pink salt if making for fasting purpose.
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil/ any other cooking oil of your choice
- 2 cups water or as required to get the desired consistency
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When the seeds start spluttering add ginger and green chilies. Saute for around 30 seconds.
- Add asafoetida, coriander powder, pepper, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Saute for a few seconds on low flame.
- Next, add tomatoes and salt. Mix everything and cook on a medium flame for around 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes turn mushy.
- Add boiled potatoes and chopped cilantro. Mix and cook for about a minute.
- Mash 4-5 potato cubes with the backside of the spatula.
- Add water and cover the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Finally, garnish with more cilantro and serve hot with rice, roti, or any other Indian bread.
Notes
- Mash some boiled potatoes and let them simmer in the curry. The starch released from them will help in making a thick curry.
- A starchy variety of potatoes is the best for this potato curry but you can also make it with any type of potatoes. Even baby potatoes are fine to be used.
- If not making for fasting purpose, you can also use onion and garlic in this recipe
- If you are on a gluten-free diet either skip asafoetida or make sure it's gluten-free. Naturally, asafoetida is gluten-free but some brands add wheat flour to it making it not suitable for people on a gluten-free diet.
- More detailed recipe tips are given in the post above. Please follow them to make this potato curry.
It is a simple transparent tasting recipe that is also healthy. You just taste potato, tomato, chili and spices.
Thanks Ronald.