Aloo Bhaja (Bengali Style Alu Bhaja)

Aloo Bhaja is a simple Bengali-style dish made with sliced or julienned potatoes fried in mustard oil. The potatoes are lightly spiced and fried until they turn crisp at the edges. This dry potato dish is commonly served with dal and rice in everyday Bengali meals. Aloo Bhaja is quick to make and uses basic ingredients.

About Aloo Bhaja Recipe

Next time you want a crispy potato side, try this Bengali-style aloo bhaja instead of regular fried chips. It is one of the simplest potato recipes you can make at home.

This method of frying potatoes gives a lovely crisp texture. There are many ways to make aloo bhaja, but this is the version I cook in my kitchen and come back to often. Give it a try.

In Bengali, the name is very straightforward.
Aloo means potato, and Bhaja simply means fried.

With about 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, you get a simple aloo bhaja that works perfectly with everyday dal rice or Dal Khichdi.

If your meal has a Mix Vegetable curry without potatoes and some rotis or chapatis, this Bengali-style potato fry fits in nicely as the usual potato side. Add a bowl of fresh curd or raita, and the meal feels complete.

This aloo bhaja recipe is very basic and uses just a few ingredients. You need potatoes, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, and mustard oil.

The mild pungent aroma and flavor come from frying the potatoes in mustard oil, which is a staple in Bengali cooking. Sometimes, I coat the potato slices lightly with rice flour before frying. This makes them crispier and helps them absorb less oil.

Whenever I make bhaja muger Khichuri, I usually serve this aloo bhaja along with Begun Bhaja. Together, they make one of the best combinations with khichdi. Try it once, and you will see why.

How to make Aloo Bhaja

Preparation

1. Rinse and peel 1 extra large potato or 3 medium potatoes (315 grams). Cut in slices of 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm thickess.

Also, heat a tawa or a flat cast iron skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons mustard oil in it.

2. Take the potato slices in a mixing bowl. Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as required.

3. Mix very well.

Make Aloo Bhaja

4. Immediately, place the potato slices in the hot oil. Fry on medium-low to medium heat. Add less oil while frying in batches as potatoes absorb more oil.

5. When one side is lightly crisp, turn over and fry the second side.

6. Flip again and a couple of times and fry till the potato slices are crisp and golden.

This way fry in batches and add more oil if required. Overall, I used 2.5 tablespoons of oil for frying.

7. Remove fried potato slices and place them on kitchen paper towels for the extra oil to be absorbed.

8. Alternatively, you can also dredge the potato slices in some rice flour and then fry them.

This way the aloo becomes more crisp and less oil is absorbed. Sometimes, I follow this method also.

9. Serve Aloo Bhaja hot or warm as a side dish with Bengali Khichuri or Moong Khichdi or dal & rice or Panta Bhat.

For more tasty potato recipes, you can check this category of Potato Recipes.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

• For a spicier aloo bhaja, increase the red chilli powder slightly or add a few pinches of crushed dried red chilli.
• Mustard oil gives the authentic Bengali taste, but you can replace it with a neutral oil like sunflower, rice bran, or groundnut oil if you prefer a milder aroma. The texture will still be good, though the flavor will be different.
• Choose the right potatoes. In India, regular table potatoes that are slightly starchy work best. Avoid new potatoes or waxy varieties, as they do not crisp well. Medium-sized potatoes with pale flesh give the best texture.
• Slice the potatoes evenly. Uniform thickness helps them cook evenly and crisp at the same time. Very thick slices stay soft, while very thin ones can burn quickly.
• Soak the sliced potatoes briefly in water if you have time. This removes excess surface starch. Drain and pat dry well before frying to avoid splattering and sogginess.
• Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the potatoes in batches. Overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and makes the slices soft instead of crisp.
• Rice flour coating is optional but helpful. A light dusting makes the aloo bhaja crispier and reduces oil absorption. Use sparingly so the potatoes do not taste floury.
• The recipe scales easily. You can double or triple the quantities without changing the method. Just use a wider pan or fry in batches for best results.

Your Questions Answered

More Tasty Bengali Recipes To Try

• Alur Dom
• Aloo Chop
• Beguni
• Aloo Posto
• Ghugni Recipe

Aloo Bhaja recipe from the archives was first published on December 2017.