Name: Aloo Curry (Indian Potato Curry Recipe)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4 cups
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 medium potatoes; 1/4 cup cooking oil; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp nigella seeds; 1 tsp ginger paste; 1 tsp garlic paste; 1/2 tsp red chilli powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 5-6 curry leaves; 1 green chilli; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp salt

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This aloo curry recipe is a simple vegan potato curry that’s made quickly with a few choice ingredients. It tastes terrific with freshly made puri, a crisp and puffy Indian bread. Eat aloo puri for a hearty Indian breakfast or brunch!

Looking for an easy potato curry to go with puri? Look no further, for here is the easiest, tastiest curry that pairs beautifully with those hot, freshly fried puris. What’s more, it is vegan, so for all those looking for vegan curry recipes, this is the answer! Here is my puri recipe in case you want to check it out –

PURI RECIPE – an Indian bread made for potato curries

Often on a lazy weekend morning, or any holiday for that matter, there’s no having a quick eggs and toast breakfast in my house. We go all out and have a traditional, very indulgent breakfast of puri with potato curry, or puri with chana masala (chickpea curry), or stuffed parathas (another Indian bread). This is washed down with tall glasses of lassi (a sweet or savory drink made of chilled yogurt) for a delightful and very filling meal.

Ingredients used in this potato curry

2 medium potatoes
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 tsp each mustard, cumin and nigella seeds
1 tsp each ginger and garlic pastes
1/2 tsp each red chilli and turmeric powders + 1 tsp coriander powder
5-6 curry leaves
1 green chilli
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp each sugar and salt

How to make aloo curry

1. Boil the potatoes and take off the skins. Cut them into quarters, then take each piece in your hand and smash it to get big, uneven chunks of potato. You can cut them into cubes also if you want.

2. Heat oil in a karahi or wok and add the mustard, cumin and nigella seeds.

3. When the seeds splutter, add the powdered spices followed by ginger and garlic pastes. Saute for 1 minute on medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture seems in danger of burning or sticking to the bottom of the wok.

4. Add potatoes and mix well so that the spices coat the potatoes.

5. Add 3 cups water, curry leaves, green chilli, tamarind paste, sugar and salt. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the gravy thickens.

Some useful notes and substitutions

This is a very flavorful curry due to the unique combination of whole and powdered spices. Here are a few details.

Nigella seeds, also known as onion seeds or kalonji, are black coloured seeds that impart a lot of punch to the curry, and are usually added to Indian pickles. Still, the earth won’t fall if you can’t get your hands on these! The curry will taste really good even without nigella.

Similarly, curry leaves or karhi patta are very aromatic leaves and lend a distinctive flavor to anything they are added to. If you can’t get your hands on curry leaves, use cilantro instead. Cilantro won’t taste the same as curry leaves, of course, but it has its own extremely pleasing flavor.

Tamarind paste, which is used for its tangy taste, can be substituted with 1 teaspoon mango powder or amchur. It is a dry, sand colored powder that is sour in taste.

Ginger and garlic pastes are available in small jars in most supermarkets, but you can make your own too very easily. And you don’t have to make them separately either for recipes that call for both. Just put equal quantities of peeled and chopped ginger and garlic along with a little water in a small blender and whizz to get a smooth puree. It’s that easy to make at home. Store the paste in a glass bottle in the fridge and use as required.

All of the above ingredients should be available in any Indian grocery in your city, or online on Amazon.