This South Indian style potato fry is a deliciously spicy, vegan side dish that gets ready in less than 30 minutes. Be sure to watch the video!
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Masala Potato Fry, a beloved dish in Indian households, is a tantalizing fusion of potatoes and aromatic spices that never fails to satisfy. It is bursting with flavour and texture.
With its simple yet flavourful ingredients and easy preparation, potato fry recipe is a perfect side dish for busy weekdays or large gatherings.
- vegan
- gluten free
- meal prep friendly
- has no added sugar
- gets ready in 30 minutes
- contains no onion and garlic
The Baby Potato
- In India, baby potatoes are packaged and sold by weight rather than in numbers, due to their small size. Choose ones that have smooth, unblemished skin and are quite firm to touch with no lesions or ‘eyes’ on them.
- Unlike the regular size potatoes, they can be cooked in their jackets, without peeling or scraping the skins off.
- Make sure to rinse them nicely in lukewarm salted water or with a teaspoon of baking soda to get rid of dirt and germs before cooking.
- Baby potatoes taste fantastic in salads, stir fry, sheet bakes, kebabs, or in classic Indian dishes like dum aloo or potato curry.
Nutritional facts:
Albeit high in carbs, baby potatoes are loaded with fiber, an essential dietary ingredient for good digestion. Additionally, they help in lowering cholesterol so feel free to add them in moderate portions in your diet.
Other Ingredients for Potato Fry:
- Mustard Oil gives a spicy taste to the potatoes. Substitute it with sesame/groundnut/coconut oil.
- Tempering (Tadka) of cumin, black mustard seeds, dried red chillies, white urad, and Bengal gram gives the much required crunch to the potato fry.
- Curry Leaves gives a rich aroma and a breath of freshness to the dish.
- Salt, Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Asafoetida (hing)
Watch Potato Fry Video
Serving Suggestion
Masala Potato Fry is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed on its own as a hearty snack or served as a side dish alongside a main course.
It pairs well for lunch or dinner with a fiery tomato rasam and steamed rice, as a side dish in a South Indian thali meal, or even with parathas for office lunchbox (Also Read: 16 Best Packed Lunchbox Ideas).
I like crispy, spicy potato fry with chilled thayir sadam. Or you can serve them with malabar parotta or lachha paratha.
My Tried and True Tips
- Choosing the right type of potato can significantly impact the texture and taste of the dish. The best potatoes for making potato fry are those with a high starch content and a firm texture that holds up well during cooking.
- You can use regular potatoes also instead of baby potatoes. Cut them into even size pieces.
- You can cook the potatoes with skin or chose to remove it.
- Use a wide pan to cook the potatoes so that they become evenly crisp.
- For a tangier taste, you can add a pinch of amchur (mango) powder or lemon juice towards the end of cooking.
More Potato Recipes
- Jeera Aloo
- Aloo Ki Sabzi
- Bombay Potatoes
- Honey Chilli Potato
- Potato Cheese Balls
- Pahadi Aloo Ke Gutke
- Cheese Potato Tray Bake
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Masala Potato Fry Recipe
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram baby potato, peeled
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
- 4 tablespoon mustard oil (sarson oil)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 – 4 dry red chillies
- 1 teaspoon white urad dal
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (Bengal Gram)
- a pinch of asafoetida
- 10 – 12 fresh curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
- Dry roast the coriander seeds in a heavy bottom skillet till aromatic. It usually takes 1 – 2 minutes. Transfer them to a mortar and crush to a coarse powder using a pestle. Set aside.
- Next, heat mustard oil in the same skillet till it starts fuming. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies and fry till seeds start spluttering.
- Add lentils, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Fry the tempering for next 2 – 3 minutes.
- Now, add the baby potatoes, salt, spices, and coriander powder. Mix nicely to evenly coat each potato with the masala.
- Cover and cook over low heat till potatoes are crisp from outside and fully cooked from inside. Stir the potatoes once or twice during this process.
- Garnish with fresh curry leaves.
- Serve Potato Fry with rasam and rice for a delicious South Indian style lunch.
Recipe Notes:
- You can use sesame oil or coconut oil as well instead of mustard oil.
- Peeling baby potatoes is optional. You can cook them with skin as well.
- A teaspoon of Chettinad masala can be added along with the other spices for an authentic flavour.
- Adjust the amount of dry red chilies as per your taste preference.
- Tip To Remove Baby Potato Skin: Pressure cook the potatoes for one whistle over medium heat or for 10 minutes in an instant pot or electric pressure cooker. This way it becomes easy to remove the peel of the baby potatoes without spending hours.
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