I really think, in fact believe that if you visit any household in India, you will find Aloo (Potato) at any given point in time, all year round. It is just a very handy veggie for all of us. Somewhat similar is the case of Curd (or dahi yogurt). When combined in one recipe, it results in this delicious Dahi Aloo or Dahi Wale Aloo which is nothing but potatoes simmered in a tangy spiced yogurt sauce. You can call it as an Aloo Kadhi, as it has gram flour too. It is simple, easy and delicious.
About Dahi Aloo
Dahi Wale Aloo or simply Dahi Aloo is a family special recipe, from my in-laws’ side. Thus, this is a Punjabi style curry dish, where you just have to boil the potatoes. Preparing the yogurt sauce is actually a quick process. I usually make it as a quick side gravy dish with roti or steamed rice.
This Dahi Wale Aloo also has besan (gram flour) as one of the ingredients. Hence, tastes a lot like a kadhi. The difference is this one uses a vegetable whereas the traditional Punjabi Kadhi has fried Onion Pakoda in it paired together with unique spices and herbs.
In addition to the aloo and dahi, other ingredients of this Dahi Wale Aloo recipe are quite basic like onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, green chilies, spice powders and seasonings. While using the yogurt, I would suggest you use fresh curd, preferably homemade one.
Dahi Wali Arbi and Dahi Bhindi are two more recipes that have vegetables cooked in similar yogurt sauces. Both are a personal favorite and a loved one at my home. The moment you try these, you’ll too be hooked on these.
Steamed rice, roti or chapati are your usual options to pair with Dahi Wale Aloo. You can add peas pulao and jeera rice too in this list.
How to make Dahi Wale Aloo
Preparation
1. Rinse and boil/steam 300 grams (3 medium to large) potatoes till they are completely cooked. You can cook them in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistles adding 2 cups water.
Alternatively choose to steam or cook potatoes in a steamer or electric cooker or Instant Pot adding water as needed.
When the pressure drops naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid. Carefully remove the boiled potatoes with tongs. Set the potatoes aside to cool on a plate.
2. In another bowl, take 1 cup fresh curd/yogurt and whisk till smooth. Perfectly set homemade Curd is better.
3. Add 2 to 2.5 tablespoons gram flour (besan).
4. Next, add 1.5 cups water and whisk to a smooth slurry using a small wired whisk. There should be no lumps of gram flour. Keep aside.
5. When the potatoes are still warm, peel them. Crumble and keep aside.
Make Dahi Aloo
6. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Sauté on low to medium-low heat till the cumin seeds crackle and change color.
7. Then, add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.
8. Sauté till the onions turn translucent on low to medium-low heat.
9. Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies. Stir and sauté for half a minute on low heat.
10. Next, add 7 to 8 curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Sauté on low heat for about half a minute.
11. Now, add ⅓ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
12. Stir well to mix.
13. Sauté on medium-low to medium heat till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see the oil leaving sides of the masala.
14. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
If you prefer, you can spice the gravy more by adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder. Mix and stir very well.
15. Now, add the boiled crumbled potatoes.
16. Stir and sauté for about 2 minutes.
17. Keep the heat to low or switch off the heat and add the curd and gram flour slurry.
18. As soon as you add the curd slurry, stir quickly to combine and mix everything.
19. Stir to mix thoroughly.
20. Simmer the gravy for 8 to 10 minutes on low heat. If the gravy becomes thick, then you can add some water. Stir a few times while the sauce is simmering.
21. Then, add salt as per taste.
22. Stir to mix and then add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
23. Stir again and switch off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.
24. Lastly, stir and serve Dahi Wale Aloo hot with chapati, roti or steamed rice. It also pairs very well with Jeera Rice or Peas Pulao.
Expert Tips
- As much as possible, use fresh homemade curd for this recipe. Make sure that the curd is not too tangy or sour.
- Use a stovetop pressure cooker or steamer or electric cooker or Instant pot to cook the potatoes. Peel and crumble them when still warm. Be careful though.
- The gram flour and yogurt slurry mixture has to be whisked till smooth. It should have no lumps in it. So use a wired whisk while making the yogurt slurry.
- If you want, you can have a spicier curry by increasing the red chili powder quantity or add more green chillies.
- For a richer version of this dish, opt to shallow fry or deep fry chopped raw potatoes until light golden. Add these fried potatoes at the same step where the boiled potatoes are added.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while simmering, add some water to thin the consistency slightly.
More Curd or Yogurt Based Recipes!
Punjabi Recipes
Kerala Recipes
Gujarati Recipes
No Onion No Garlic Recipes
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Dahi Aloo Recipe | Dahi Wale Aloo
Ingredients
For the curd mixture
- 1 cup Curd (yogurt)
- 2 to 2.5 tablespoons besan (gram flour), can swap with chickpea flour
- 1.5 cups water
Other ingredients
- 300 grams potatoes or 3 medium to large potatoes – boiled
- 2 tablespoons oil – sunflower oil or mustard oil or any neutral flavored oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium-sized
- ⅓ cup finely chopped tomatoes or 1 medium-sized
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies or 1 to 2 green chillies
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 3 to 4 small to medium garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- salt as required
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse and then boil/steam potatoes till they are completely cooked.
- You can cook them in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker with 2 cups water for 3 to 4 whistles. Or choose to steam them in an Instant Pot or steamer pan or electric cooker adding water as needed.
- When the pressure drops on its own in the cooker, then only remove the lid. Carefully remove the potatoes with a pair of tongs and set aside to cool.
- When the potatoes are still warm, peel them. Crumble and keep aside.
- In another bowl, take the fresh curd or dahi (yogurt) and whisk till smooth.
- Add 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of besan (gram flour).
- Next add 1.5 cups water and whisk this mixture till smooth. There should be no tiny lumps of gram flour in this slurry mixture
- Chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies finely.
Making dahi aloo
- In a pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add cumin seeds. Fry on low heat till the cumin seeds crackle and change color.
- Then add finely chopped onions.
- Stirring often sauté onions on low to medium-low heat till the onions turn translucent and are softened.
- Add finely chopped ginger, finely chopped garlic and finely chopped green chilies. Stir and sauté for half a minute on low to medium-low heat.
- Next add curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté on low to medium-low heat for about half a minute.
- Now add finely chopped tomatoes.
- Stir and saute on medium-low to medium heat or till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil leaving sides of the masala mixture.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. For a spicier gravy add ¼ to ½ teaspoon more of the red chili powder. Stir and mix very well.
- Now add the boiled crumbled potatoes. Stir and sauté for about 2 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
- Keep the flame to a low or turn off the heat and then add the curd and gram flour slurry.
- As soon as you add the curd slurry, stir immediately. Stir and mix thoroughly.
- Simmer the gravy for 8 to 10 minutes on a low heat. If the gravy becomes thick, then you can add some water.
- Season with salt as per taste.
- Stir to mix and then add garam masala powder and 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Switch off the heat.
- Lastly, stir and serve Dahi Aloo with either chapati or roti or steamed rice. It also goes very well with cumin rice or peas pulao.
Notes
- To make recipes like these that uses curd or dahi, it is best to use fresh homemade curd.
- For a more fancier and richer version of the recipe, you can choose to shallow fry or deep fry raw potato cubes until light golden, instead of boiling or steaming them.
- To thicken the yogurt sauce gram flour is used. If you are not a fan of gram flour, try using cornflour (cornstarch) or rice flour or tapioca flour. But keep in mind that the taste of the dish will be different when you use these flours.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Dahi Aloo recipe post from the blog archives first published in June 2015 has been republished and updated on 14 July 2022.
Awesome! I always love vegrecipesofindia
thank you ????
Too good recipe.. Came out so well.. Thanks for the great recipe..
Welcome Pavi
I made it today for my son’s tiffin box with methi paratha. Tasted heavenly… I just loved it… eagerly expecting the reaction from my lil one… 🙂
Thanks Preethi for sharing this positive feedback.
I really can not thank you enough for this wonderful recipe. I made it today and it served as a perfect after work comforting meal. We Bengalees use dahi in many dishes and we are taught to lower the flame as low as possible to prevent curdling of the yogurt. But adding besan serves as an excellent alternative. Thank you again for the recipe.
Welcome Anuria. Glad to know this. Thanks for your appreciation. Even we keep the flame to the lowest when adding curd in any dish and then stir it quickly. At times i remove the pan from the burner and then add the curd.