Palak Aloo (Saag Aloo)

Saag or sag is spinach and/or mustard-leaf based dish eaten in with bread such as roti or naan, or rice. Saag can be made from spinach, mustard leaves, or other greens, along with added spices and sometimes other ingredients such as paneer or aloo.

Saag aloo or Palak aloo is fried aloo dipped in spinach curry. It is usually served with naan, chapatti, and makki di roti. Saag aloo is commonly served hot, and topped with ghee (clarified butter).

Ingredients

Potatoes: 3 potatoes

Spinach: 4 cups

Onion: 2; finely chopped

Green chilli: 2-3; finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste: 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder: ½ teaspoon (adjust to taste)

Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon

Water: 2 cups

Salt: to taste

Cloves, cardamom, bay leaves: 2 each

Cinnamon stick: 1” stick

Oil: 1 table spoon

1. Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and cut into cubes of desired size. Sauté the potato pieces in a teaspoon of oil.

2. Blanch spinach in hot water for 2 minutes, place in cold water for few seconds and make coarse paste. Keep water aside to use later.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, elachi and bay leaves. Sauté for few seconds.

4. Add finely chopped onions and chillis. Sauté till onions turn transparent.

5. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chilli and coriander powders and mix well.

6. Add the spinach paste and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes. Add the sautéed potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.

7. Add spinach water, salt and cook for 5 more minutes or till curry gets required consistency. Remove from heat and serve hot with roti or any flavored rice.

Boiled Potato fry - 2

I've blogged earlier a different way of cooking boiled potato fry. In this recipe I used chilli powder instead of green chillis.

Ingredients

Potatoes : 4

Salt : to taste

Chilli powder : to taste
Turmeric powder: big pinch
Oil : 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tea spoon
Cashew nuts: 5 (optional)
Chana dal : 1/2 tea spoon
Urad dal : 1/2 tea spoon
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Onion : 1; small, finely sliced (optional)
Coriander leaves : for garnishing

1. Boil, peel the skin and mash the potatoes (don’t mash them into fine paste).
2. Add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cashew nuts, dals, curry leaves and sauté for 1 minute. Add onions and sauté till onions become translucent.
4. Now add the potato mixture and combine well. Sauté on low heat till the raw smell of turmeric is gone. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Boiled Potato Fry - 1

Ingredients

Potatoes : 4, big
Turmeric powder : ½ tablespoon
Salt : To taste

For seasoning

Mustard seeds : ½ tablespoon
Urad dal : ¼ tablespoon
Chana dal : ¼ tablespoon
Cumin seeds : ¼ tablespoon (Optional)
Cashew nuts : 6, halved
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Coriander : To garnish
Green chillis : 4
Onion: 1, finely chopped
Oil : 2-3 tablespoons


1. Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash them. Don’t mash them into fine paste, there should be few lumps of potato.
2. Add salt and turmeric to mashed potatoes and mix well.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cashew nuts, dals, curry leaves, chillis and saute for 1 minute. Add onions and saute till onions become translucent.
4. Now add the potato mixture and combine well. Saute on low heat till the raw smell of turmeric is gone. Garnish with chopped coriander.

This is the recipe I commonly use to prepare potato fry for masala dosa and chapati. For poori, the entire process is same except that after step 3, I’ll add a cup of water to the seasoning and then put potato mixture into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes before removing from heat.

Spicy Papas Fritas

Papas Fritas is the alternate name of french fries. This dish is nothing but adding some spiciness to the bland fries.

Ingredients

Potatoes : 3, big
Dry red chillis : 5-7 (adjust according to your taste)
Garlic : 5 flakes, crushed
Urad dal : 1 tablespoon
Chana dal : 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds : ¼ tablespoon
Mustard seeds : ½ tablespoon
Curry leaves : 1 twig
Coriander : 5 twigs, finely chopped
Lemon juice : To taste
Oil : To fry potatoes


1. Peel the skin of potatoes and chop them in the shape of french fries. Deep fry the cut potatoes. Once golden brown, drain and place on absorbent paper.
2. Dry roast Urad dal, chana dal and cumin seeds.
3. Heat around ½ tablespoon oil in a pan. Add dry red chillis and crushed garlic flakes, and sauté for a minute.
4. Mix the roasted and fried ingredients and grind into a fine powder.
5. Heat around 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add curry leaves and coriander leaves and saute for a minute. Now add the deep fried potatoes and mix well over low flame.
6. Remove from heat, sprinkle lemon juice and serve immediately with sauce.


Tip : Put the chopped potatoes in water to preserve colour.

Note : If you don’t want to waste time peeling potatoes and cutting them, you can use frozen fries. Thaw them as directed on the cover and deep fry.