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Aloo ke gutke
Potato cubes with mountain spices
आलू के गुटके: Kumaoni potato cubes fried in mustard oil with jakhiya seeds
Ask anyone from Kumaon what they miss most from home and aloo ke gutke comes up quickly. Hill potatoes are boiled, cut into rough chunks and tossed in smoking mustard oil with jakhiya, a tiny wild seed that pops and crunches like mustard but tastes more like toasted cumin. It's served at tea time with a mug of chai, on festival plates next to puri, and in local dhabas with cucumber raita. Outside Uttarakhand jakhiya is hard to find, so use cumin seeds with a few black mustard seeds instead; the dish will still taste right. Chef's tip: boil the potatoes a few hours ahead, or the night before, so they firm up and fry into crisp-edged cubes instead of crumbling.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoesboiled in their skins, cooled, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
For the tempering
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp jakhiya seedsor 1 tsp cumin seeds plus ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 3 dried red chilliesbroken in half
- 2 green chilliesslit
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Make sure 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoes are completely cool before you start. Warm, freshly boiled potatoes are the most common mistake here: they break into mash the moment you stir them.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wide iron kadhai or heavy frying pan over a high heat until it just begins to smoke, then lower the heat to medium. This takes the harsh edge off the oil.
3 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp jakhiya seeds (or the cumin and mustard seeds) and let them crackle and pop for 10–15 seconds until they darken a shade. Add 3 dried red chillies, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and 2 green chillies and stir for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 4: Take the pan off the heat for a moment and stir in ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 ½ tsp ground coriander so they don't scorch, then put it back on a medium heat.
1 minStep 5: Add the potato cubes and 1 tsp salt and toss gently with a flat spatula until every piece is coated red-gold. Spread them out and leave them for 2 minutes at a time between stirs.
2 minStep 6: Keep frying for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the edges are crisp and lightly browned and the spices cling to the potatoes. Scatter over ½ oz fresh coriander and serve hot or warm.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aloo ke gutke take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of gluten-free asafoetida (hing)?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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