This South Indian style potato fry is a deliciously spicy, vegan side dish that gets ready in less than 30 minutes. Be sure to watch the video!
- The Baby Potato
- Watch Potato Fry Video
- Serving Suggestion
- My Tried and True Tips
- More Potato Recipes
- Masala Potato Fry Recipe
Masala Potato Fry, a beloved dish in Indian households, is a tantalizing fusion of potatoes and aromatic spices that never fails to satisfy. It is bursting with flavour and texture.
With its simple yet flavourful ingredients and easy preparation, potato fry recipe is a perfect side dish for busy weekdays or large gatherings.
- vegan
- gluten free
- meal prep friendly
- has no added sugar
- gets ready in 30 minutes
- contains no onion and garlic
The Baby Potato
- In India, baby potatoes are packaged and sold by weight rather than in numbers, due to their small size. Choose ones that have smooth, unblemished skin and are quite firm to touch with no lesions or ‘eyes’ on them.
- Unlike the regular size potatoes, they can be cooked in their jackets, without peeling or scraping the skins off.
- Make sure to rinse them nicely in lukewarm salted water or with a teaspoon of baking soda to get rid of dirt and germs before cooking.
- Baby potatoes taste fantastic in salads, stir fry, sheet bakes , kebabs, or in classic Indian dishes like dum aloo or potato curry .
Nutritional facts: Albeit high in carbs, baby potatoes are loaded with fiber, an essential dietary ingredient for good digestion. Additionally, they help in lowering cholesterol so feel free to add them in moderate portions in your diet.
Other Ingredients for Potato Fry:
- Mustard Oil gives a spicy taste to the potatoes. Substitute it with sesame/groundnut/coconut oil.
- Tempering (Tadka) of cumin, black mustard seeds, dried red chillies, white urad, and Bengal gram gives the much required crunch to the potato fry.
- Curry Leaves gives a rich aroma and a breath of freshness to the dish.
- Salt, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Asafoetida (hing)
Watch Potato Fry Video
Serving Suggestion
Masala Potato Fry is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed on its own as a hearty snack or served as a side dish alongside a main course.
I like crispy, spicy potato fry with chilled thayir sadam . Or you can serve them with malabar parotta or lachha paratha.
My Tried and True Tips
- Choosing the right type of potato can significantly impact the texture and taste of the dish. The best potatoes for making potato fry are those with a high starch content and a firm texture that holds up well during cooking.
- You can use regular potatoes also instead of baby potatoes. Cut them into even size pieces.
- You can cook the potatoes with skin or chose to remove it.
- Use a wide pan to cook the potatoes so that they become evenly crisp.
- For a tangier taste , you can add a pinch of amchur (mango) powder or lemon juice towards the end of cooking.
More Potato Recipes
- Jeera Aloo
- Aloo Ki Sabzi
- Bombay Potatoes
- Honey Chilli Potato
- Potato Cheese Balls
- Pahadi Aloo Ke Gutke
- Cheese Potato Tray Bake
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 kilogram baby potato, peeled
- ▢ 2 tablespoon coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
- ▢ 4 tablespoon mustard oil (sarson oil)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ▢ 2 – 4 dry red chillies
- ▢ 1 teaspoon white urad dal
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chana dal (Bengal Gram)
- ▢ a pinch of asafoetida
- ▢ 10 – 12 fresh curry leaves
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
- Dry roast the coriander seeds in a heavy bottom skillet till aromatic. It usually takes 1 – 2 minutes. Transfer them to a mortar and crush to a coarse powder using a pestle. Set aside.
- Next, heat mustard oil in the same skillet till it starts fuming. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies and fry till seeds start spluttering.
- Add lentils, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Fry the tempering for next 2 – 3 minutes.
- Now, add the baby potatoes, salt, spices, and coriander powder. Mix nicely to evenly coat each potato with the masala.
- Cover and cook over low heat till potatoes are crisp from outside and fully cooked from inside. Stir the potatoes once or twice during this process.
- Garnish with fresh curry leaves.
- Serve Potato Fry with rasam and rice for a delicious South Indian style lunch.
Recipe Notes:
- You can use sesame oil or coconut oil as well instead of mustard oil.
- Peeling baby potatoes is optional. You can cook them with skin as well.
- A teaspoon of Chettinad masala can be added along with the other spices for an authentic flavour.
- Adjust the amount of dry red chilies as per your taste preference.
- Tip To Remove Baby Potato Skin: Pressure cook the potatoes for one whistle over medium heat or for 10 minutes in an instant pot or electric pressure cooker. This way it becomes easy to remove the peel of the baby potatoes without spending hours.
Nutrition
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Masala Potato Fry Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram baby potato, peeled
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
- 4 tablespoon mustard oil (sarson oil)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 - 4 dry red chillies
- 1 teaspoon white urad dal
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (Bengal Gram)
- a pinch of asafoetida
- 10 - 12 fresh curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
- Dry roast the coriander seeds in a heavy bottom skillet till aromatic. It usually takes 1 - 2 minutes. Transfer them to a mortar and crush to a coarse powder using a pestle. Set aside.
- Next, heat mustard oil in the same skillet till it starts fuming. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies and fry till seeds start spluttering.
- Add lentils, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Fry the tempering for next 2 - 3 minutes.
- Now, add the baby potatoes, salt, spices, and coriander powder. Mix nicely to evenly coat each potato with the masala.
- Cover and cook over low heat till potatoes are crisp from outside and fully cooked from inside. Stir the potatoes once or twice during this process.
- Garnish with fresh curry leaves.
- Serve Potato Fry with rasam and rice for a delicious South Indian style lunch.
Video
Notes
- You can use sesame oil or coconut oil as well instead of mustard oil.
- Peeling baby potatoes is optional. You can cook them with skin as well.
- A teaspoon of Chettinad masala can be added along with the other spices for an authentic flavour.
- Adjust the amount of dry red chilies as per your taste preference.
- Tip To Remove Baby Potato Skin: Pressure cook the potatoes for one whistle over medium heat or for 10 minutes in an instant pot or electric pressure cooker. This way it becomes easy to remove the peel of the baby potatoes without spending hours.
Nutrition
Chana Masala is the most popular Indian curry made with chickpeas (chana). I am sharing a Delhi-style vegan, zero oil chana masala recipe. Be sure to watch the video!
About Chana Masala
Over the years, chana masala has become a widely popular Indian curry among vegan food lovers. Because:
- gluten-free, and vegan
- highly customizable
- freezer and meal-prep friendly
- chickpeas (chana) are easily available
- plant based protein rich main course
- instant pot, and pressure cooker friendly
Chana Masala is one of the most loved curries. I have another delicious version of instant pot chana curry truly restaurant style in my cookbook .
My Zero Oil Chana Recipe
This special Delhi-style chole masala recipe is tried and tested over the years. The USP of this curry recipe is that it requires zero oil or fat .
I would not say that my chana recipe is better than the one served at the pushcarts across Delhi or it is an authentic version. But it is a bookmark-worthy chana curry recipe that always yields finger-licking good results with minimal time in the kitchen.
The best part about this chana recipe is that there is not much cutting, chopping, and prep work involved. All you need to have is the requisite spices in the pantry. The dish’s flavour profile is defined by the right combination of spices added while preparing it.
All the spices mentioned in the chana masala recipe contribute to the dish’s flavour.
How To Boil Chickpeas
I use the Indian-style stovetop pressure cooker to perfectly boil the chickpeas. You can do the same in an instant pot or electric pressure cooker.
I often cook chana pulao and chana saag using an instant pot. You can use boiled chickpeas to make Mediterranean salad or hummus .
Follow these steps to get perfectly boiled chickpeas each time:
- Soak Chickpeas: Rinse and soak chickpeas in water for 5 – 6 hours before boiling. This reduces cooking time to almost half and makes chickpeas plum in size.
- Boil Chickpeas: Drain water from the soaked chickpeas or use the same water. And add 2 – 3 cups more. Do not add too much water. The ideal ratio is 1:2, one cup of chickpeas to two cups of water. Season the water with salt. And at last, don’t forget to add the whole spices while boiling chickpeas.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker: In a stovetop pressure cooker, chickpeas take 4 – 5 whistles over low heat to get boiled.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker: Set the pressure cooker mode. Add soaked chickpeas along with water, whole spices, and salt to the inner pot. Close the lid. Set the steam valve to sealing mode. Pressure Cook chickpeas for 10 – 15 minutes.
Many cooks prefer adding tea leaves or tea bags while boiling chickpeas. This is optional. Why are tea leaves added? To give a nice dark brown colour to the chickpeas for the curry. That is the only reason to add tea leaves. In my chana recipe, this step is skipped. I believe the true natural colour of the dish comes from the spices like anardana powder (pomegranate seeds powder) and garam masala .
Yes, you can use canned chickpeas for making this curry. Make sure to discard the liquid present in the can or the tin. Rinse the chickpeas with running water and let them sit on a colander or sieve for 10 – 15 minutes.
You can add it to the chana curry for colour, aroma, and flavour. In that case, skip adding garam masala powder.
You can store it in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. Chickpeas usually freeze well, and this chana masala is no exception. Let it cool down to room temperature. Store in a freezer-safe container or ziplock and freeze. It should be good for up to 1 month.
It is a medium to highly spicy curry, especially if you are not accustomed to eating spicy food. You can add coconut milk or cream to tone down the heat of spices.
Watch Chana Masala Video
Serving Suggestion
In India, spicy chole masala is served with deep-fried bhatura or kulcha , also known as chana – kulcha.
The chana curry is loaded with potatoes, green chillies, masala onion, or green chutney . That combination is tantalizing. The instant ginger pickle or gobi gajar pickle tastes amazing with this chana curry.
You can also serve this chana masala with jeera rice , poori , naan , or chapati.
More Punjabi Curry Recipes
- Dal Makhani
- Rajma Masala
- Butter Chicken
- Palak Chana Saag
- Paneer Kofta Curry
- Soya Chaap Masala
- Paneer Butter Masala
- Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
Ingredients For Boiling:
- ▢ 1 Cup white chana/chole (chickpeas)
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 2 green cardamoms (elaichi)
- ▢ 2 cloves (laung)
- ▢ 1 Cup chopped onion
- ▢ 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ▢ 4 Cup water
Spices For Chana Masala:
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- ▢ 1 teaspoon anardana powder (pomegranate seeds powder)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel powder (saunf)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Garam Masala see recipe here
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder
Other Ingredients For Chana Masala
- ▢ ¼ Cup kasuri methi
- ▢ 1 green chili, sliced
- ▢ an inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
- ▢ Juice of half a lemon
- ▢ ¼ Cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
How To Boil Chana (Chickpeas)
- Clean, wash, and soak chana overnight in water or for 5 – 6 hours. Next day drain water, transfer chana in a colander.
- Add soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water, whole spices, onion, ginger paste, and salt.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook chickpeas until soft. For me, it takes 3 -4 whistles over a low flame. In IP, it takes 15 minutes in a pressure cook mode.
- Allow the steam to release naturally from the pressure cooker. Open the lid, discard the whole spices
- Transfer chickpeas into a large bowl. Reserve water in which chickpeas were cooked.
How To Cook Chana Masala
- Heat heavy-bottomed pan over low flame. Add asafoetida, anardana powder, coriander powder, and fennel powder. Dry roast the spices for 10 – 20 seconds to release the aroma.
- Add boiled chickpeas, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, and reserved boiled chickpea water. Stir to combine. Gently mash the chana using the back of a spoon or ladle to thicken the gravy.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Let chana masala simmer over low heat for the next 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, add ginger, green chili, kasuri methi, coriander, and lemon juice. Stir to mix nicely. Cook for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve Punjabi Chana Masala warm with naan or poori or kulcha .
Recipe Notes:
- You can use canned chickpeas as well to make chana masala.
- Adding onion is optional in this chole recipe.
- Use dry mango powder if anardana powder is not available. But the color of the chana masala will not be the same.
- You can add a teaspoon of chana masala powder as well for aroma and taste.
- Allow the boiled chana to simmer in the spices for some time to absorb the juices of the masala.
Nutrition
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