AI-generated image
Aloo pitika
Mashed potato with mustard oil
আলু পিটিকা: Assamese mashed potato with raw mustard oil, onion, green chilli and coriander
Aloo pitika is the first thing on many Assamese lunch plates, a rough mash of boiled potato sharpened with raw mustard oil, onion, green chilli and coriander, eaten with the first mouthfuls of rice and dal. Guwahati families make it daily, and in winter it may be mixed with roasted aubergine or a boiled egg. The usual mistake is making it smooth like a Western purée; it should be coarse and hand-mashed so the onion and chilli stay crunchy. Chef's tip: use pungent kachi ghani mustard oil and rub it in last, so its heat hits the nose.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pitika
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoesfloury, unpeeled
- 1 small red onionvery finely chopped
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp raw mustard oil (kachi ghani)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ⅛ lb potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and peel while warm.
15 minStep 2: Crush the potatoes roughly with your hand or a fork, leaving small lumps.
2 minStep 3: Add 1 small red onion, 2 green chillies, 3 tbsp fresh coriander and ¾ tsp salt and mix with your fingers.
2 minStep 4: Rub in 1 ½ tbsp raw mustard oil (kachi ghani) until every bit is coated and smells pungent. Shape into a mound and serve with rice and dal.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aloo pitika take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 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 potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of small red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
