Bombay Aloo Potatoes with Basic Raita
Extract from Fearless Food © Lynda Booth 2017
Potatoes are seen as just another vegetable in Indian cooking. You could use leftover potatoes chopped into chunks, but cooking potatoes from scratch means that they absorb more flavour. It is so interesting to try out different spices with potatoes. This is one of my favourite combinations. This recipe introduces black mustard seeds, which are a very mild yet distinctive spice and the extraordinarily aromatic curry leaves which are available in Asian markets but keep well in the freezer. If you do not have access to fresh curry leaves, then simply leave them out. Dried curry leaves are not an option.
To prepare the Bombay Aloo Potatoes with Basic Raita
To make the raita, simply mix all the ingredients together.
Chop the potatoes into cubes about 2cm square. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Drop 2 or 3 mustard seeds into the pot. They should sizzle as soon as they hit the oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the rest of the seeds. When they pop and crackle, drop in the curry leaves. Sauté for about 10 seconds and enjoy the drama and the extraordinary aroma that they emit. Mix in the onions, season with salt and cook, stirring regularly for at least 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften.
Add the turmeric, ground coriander, chilli powder and a dash of water and cook out the spices for about 30 seconds, stirring as you go. Ground spices can burn very easily so as a matter of course, it is useful to keep a little jug of water beside you. Mix in the cubed potatoes, season with salt and add 100ml water. Continue cooking the potatoes with the lid on, stirring every so often, until they are barely tender. Add in more water as you go along if the mixture becomes too dry. At the end, adjust the seasoning. Finish with a bunch of chopped coriander.
Bombay Aloo potatoes are delicious served with the Lamb Kheema and a simple raita.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the basic raita
200g Greek yoghurt
pinch salt
pinch sugar
a few drops of lemon juice
For the potatoes
3 tbsp oil
500g potatoes
1 tsp black mustard seeds
12 fresh curry leaves (or frozen, but never dried)
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (Deggi Mirch brand)
100ml water, or as needed
bunch of coriander,
roughly chopped
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