This Potato Roast is an easy and spicy South Indian dish made with potatoes. It has minimal ingredients, that too the ones which are usually available in an Indian home pantry.
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.