Name: South Indian Roasted Potato (Masala Aloo)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 3 medium potatoes (parboiled); 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds ((substitute with cumin seeds)); 1/2 teaspoon split urad dal (optional); 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder ((substitute with cayenne pepper)); Himalayan pink salt (to taste); 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or coriander leaf (chopped (optional))

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Masala Aloo literally means spiced potato. Imagine comforting cubes of potatoes sautéed in turmeric and chili powder, with plenty of salt and a bit of crunch. In a word: scrumptious.

These potatoes are lovely as a dinner side dish, or for breakfast with eggs, or as a snack mashed on toast with mango chutney. I know the toast idea may sound surprising to some of you. It was to me when I first heard it, but vegetarians in India eat potato with bread in number of ways, and it is really good!

When fully cooked the Masala Aloo is a feast for the eyes with it’s golden color from the turmeric and perfect caramelization.

The spice mix, or masala, for this recipe is classic South Indian: black mustard seeds, urad dal, turmeric, and red chili. This combination is wonderfully balanced, and super healthy. It is also good on almost any vegetable. See my post, How to Cook Any Vegetable, South Indian Style.

To get the crunch for this dish, you temper the black mustard seeds and a tiny white lentil called urad dal, in a small amount of oil.

Both of these items will likely have to be purchased at an Indian grocery store or online, but it is super worth it!

See the notes section below the recipe for details on this, as well as suggestions for what to do if you are unable to source the spices.

Next, you add some crushed red chili, turmeric powder, and salt into the oil. Let it sizzle, and a few seconds later you are ready to add your potato cubes. The potatoes used in this dish are parboiled so that they do not take long to cook at this stage.

The potatoes are roasted on low heat and develop a beautiful golden spice crust. When fully cooked the Masala Aloo is a feast for the eyes with its golden color from the turmeric and perfect caramelization.

South Indian Roasted Potato (Masala Aloo)

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keywords: potato, turmeric

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Andrea at Buttered Veg

Masala Aloo: Comforting cubes of potatoes sautéed in turmeric and chile, plenty of salt + bit of crunch. Scrumptious.

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Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, parboiled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds, (substitute with cumin seeds)
½ teaspoon split urad dal, optional
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon red chili powder , (substitute with cayenne pepper)
Himalayan pink salt, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or coriander leaf, chopped (optional)

Instructions

This recipe requires a medium (10-inch) skillet with lid, or a 4 quart sauté pan with a lid.

Method for making Masala Aloo

Parboil the potatoes in boiling water. A knife inserted into the potato should pull out smoothly when you try to lift the potato with it.
Drain and cool the potatoes until you can handle them with your hands. Peel the skins from the potatoes and chop them into half-inch cubes. Set aside until needed.
Heat the oil in your skillet or sauté pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dal. Watch carefully. When over half the mustard seeds pop, and the urad dal turns golden brown, add the turmeric, red chile, and salt, and sauté about 30 seconds to release the aroma. Quickly add the potatoes and mix well using two spoons or a big spatula.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Roast on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes get brown and crispy.
Taste the potatoes and adjust for salt. Add chopped fresh cilantro leaves for extra flavor and color as an optional garnish.

To serve

These potatoes are extremely versatile. Serve them as a vegetable side dish with any Indian lentil or bean dal.
Or treat them as hash browns and enjoy them with eggs.
The potatoes can also be used as a filling, rolled inside a flatbread or tortilla, or as a tasty toast topping.

Notes

There are a number of variations you could try with this dish. Try browning cumin seeds in the oil instead of black mustard seeds for a slightly different taste. Try adding onions, green onions, garlic, kale, or green peas, and sautéing the vegetables before adding the cooked potato.

Ingredient Substitutions

If you do not have black mustard seeds, just leave them out of the recipe. You could try using cumin seeds instead, but careful when browning them in oil that they do not burn. You need to add your vegetables as soon as the cumin is browned.

Urad dal looks like a tiny white lentil but it is actually a bean. It is used as a seasoning in South Indian cuisine. Its taste is nutty, and its texture is crunchy. There is no good substitute for urad dal as a seasoning. If you don’t have it, just leave it out.

Turmeric, a bright orange root that looks like ginger, is commonly used in its powdered form for Indian cuisine. Its taste is mild, and complements most other flavors. Turmeric is essential, and easy to find in any grocery store. If you don’t have it, please buy it. It is used in almost every recipe.

To learn more about Indian spices, and where to buy them, see my guide to Indian Ingredient Substitutions.

Nutrition

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South Indian Roasted Potato (Masala Aloo)