Here’s a South Indian style Potato Roast recipe, which is literally simplicity at its best. This dish has minimal ingredients, that too the ones which are usually available in an Indian home pantry. Plus, it is quick, easy to prepare and will serve the purpose of a tasty spicy side dish. All you got to do is to boil the potatoes and pan roast them with mustard seeds, spice powders and curry leaves.
Table of Contents
About Potato Roast
This Potato Roast (also called Urulai Kizhangu Roast in Tamil language) is one of the best options for days, when you want to prepare a delicious dish on a short notice.
Another similar South Indian way of preparing a quick aloo recipe is this Potato Podimas (savory and spiced cooked potatoes).
Both these recipes do not require much cooking skills and can be easily prepared by bachelors or even novices. I mean you don’t have to be a pro chef or stress over with the recipes of both these.
In addition to these potato-based dishes, you can also try this spicy Mushroom Roast with North Indian flavors.
In this Potato Roast recipe, I have used sambar powder to bring in a unique zing and elevate the taste profile.
If you don’t have readymade sambar powder at home, make it with this Sambar Powder recipe. Or else, prepare the aloo roast with just the turmeric powder and red chili powder.
This aloo roast is a no onion, no garlic recipe, and is slightly spicy and hot. However, the spices can be adjusted and there’s absolutely no problem with that.
My favorite style of having it is either with Dal Fry or Sambar or Rasam paired with steamed rice. You can also have it with dosa, roti, paratha, etc.
How to make Potato Roast
Preparation
1. Boil or steam 3 medium-sized potatoes till they are just cooked. They should not fall apart or get over cooked.
You could cook potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker, Instant Pot or in a pan on the stovetop.
If cooking in a stovetop pressure cooker, then first rinse the potatoes and place them in a 3-litre cooker with water almost covering the potatoes. Pressure cook on medium heat for 2 whistles or until they are almost cooked.
When the pressure falls naturally on its own, then only open the lid. Drain the water and set the potatoes aside to cool.
2. When the potatoes turn warm or cool, peel them.
3. Then dice or chop them.
Make Potato Roast
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Crackle ½ teaspoon mustard seeds first keeping heat to a low.
5. Then, add 10 to 12 curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds or until the curry leaves turn crisp.
6. Add the diced potatoes and stir to mix.
7. Sprinkle all the ground spice powders and seasonings:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon sambar powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- salt as required
8. Stir well, so that the spices coats the potatoes well. Sauté on low heat for 5 to 6 minutes stirring in between.
The potatoes are sautéed in a pan on a low to medium-low heat which makes them have a crisp texture.
For a more crispy texture, you could add 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice flour after mixing the potatoes with the spices.
9. Keep on turning at intervals to ensure even crisping and roasting of the potatoes.
10. Once perfectly roasted, serve them hot. You can also garnish Potato Roast with coriander leaves (if you prefer) or drizzle some lemon juice while serving.
11. Serve Potato Roast as a side dish with sambar-rice, rasam-rice or dal-rice combo.
Potato and Indian Cuisine
You go in any part of the Indian subcontinent, one vegetable (actually a tuber) which you will consistently find across households is the potato. I’d rather call it a staple vegetable for us Indians.
There are many veggies and green leaves that nature has for us. But the kind of love that we have for the humble potato is something else only.
So, when the root vegetable potato is so common in India, obviously there are particular dishes with potato that have variations as you go from region to region.
In South India, you will find this Potato Roast, Potato Kurma, Podimas and Poori Masala while North Indians have their version of the Aloo Puri.
Maharashtra has the Batata Bhaji and Bengal is good with the simplest version of, the Aloo Bhaja and the delicious Alur Dom.
We pair this Potato Roast as a side with the flavorful Arachuvitta Sambar or the simple Sambar with steamed rice.
If not this way, then you can even enjoy it with some dal-rice, rasam-rice, chapati/roti, poori, paratha or even plain dosa, uttapam, etc. Mostly, all the other regional varieties can also be consumed in a similar way.
Expert Tips
- Use either regular potatoes or baby potatoes to make this dish. Ensure that you boil the potatoes in a way that they retain their shape and not get mushy.
- If you don’t have the sambar powder, make the dish without it.
- Alter the spices as per your personal likings. You can even add some green chilies for a spicier dish.
- To make it more authentic, you can cook it in coconut oil as well.
- Mash the Potato Roast a little and use as a stuffing for dosas, sandwiches, rolls and wraps. Spread on toasts for an open sandwich.
More Indian Potato Recipes To Try!
Vegetable Recipes
North Indian Food
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Potato Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 potatoes medium-sized or 6 to 7 small potatoes
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Sambar Powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), optional
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
Prep Potatoes
- Rinse the potatoes first a few times in water.
- Boil or steam the potatoes till they are just cooked. They should not fall apart.
- You can cook the potatoes in a stove-top pressure cooker, in a pan on stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
- For cooking in a stovetop pressure cooker, place the rinsed potatoes in it. Add enough water covering the potatoes.
- Pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium heat or until the potatoes are almost cooked.
- Let the pressure fall naturally in the cooker and then only open the lid.
- Drain the water and remove the potatoes. Or remove the potatoes with tongs and set them aside on a plate to cool.
- Peel the potatoes and dice them when they become warm or are cooled.
Making potato roast
- Heat oil in a pan. Crackle the mustard seeds first on a low heat.
- Then add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds or till the curry leaves become crisp.
- Add the diced potatoes and stir to mix.
- Sprinkle all the ground spice powders, asafoetida and salt.
- Stir well, so that the masala coats the potatoes well. Saute for 5 to 6 mins on a low heat.
- Keep on turning at intervals to ensure even crisping and roasting of the potatoes.
- You can also garnish the roasted potatoes with coriander leaves if you like.
- Serve potato roast as a side dish with sambar rice, rasam rice or dal rice combo. You can drizzle with some lemon juice if you prefer while serving.
Notes
- Instead of regular potatoes, you could use new potatoes or baby potatoes to make this dish.
- If making the recipe with small potatoes or baby potatoes, then pressure cook on medium-high to high heat only for 1 whistle or until the pressure builds up in the cooker and you hear the hissing sound of the vent weight/whistle.
- The potatoes can also be cooked in an Instant Pot or in a pan on the stovetop adding water as required.
- According to your taste preferences, add less or more of the spices and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
- If in case you do not have sambar powder, make the dish without it.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Potato Roast recipe post from the blog archives first published in January 2014 has been republished and updated on 12 August 2022.
I’m not a big fan of potatoes, but just loved this one ????
thank you ????
delicious……..
thankyou Sonia 🙂
Awesome. Tried it with dal rasam and it was a perfect meal . Making it again today
Thank you for the delicious recipes. Glad I found this blog!!
welcome richa. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
Thank you dassana for your great way of explaining the recipes. I just keep on trying them. Will love to share with you more details. As m running short of time as my hubby is about to come from office and I am preparing to serve him your delicious recipes…..
Thanks again. Great to hear from you.
welcome sanchita. glad to know this. loved reading your positive comment.
This recipe turned out very tasty. I have done this several times before, but the spice proportions given in this made it really good. I added some urad dal and chopped garlic before adding the tadka, since that is how my mom makes it.
If i microwave cut potato pieces, will it still taste the same ?
thanks sharmilee for sharing positive feedback and your variation. with microwave the texture and taste of potatoes will change.
Thanks. I always cooked potato with a microwave and it didn’t taste as good as when boiled.
Following your recipe to the tee makes perfect dishes.
welcome sharmilee. good to know this.