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Alu bhaji
Matchstick potato stir-fry
Alu bhaji: Bangladeshi matchstick potatoes with onion, turmeric and green chilli
Across Bangladesh, alu bhaji is the simplest side on the table: potatoes cut into thin matchsticks and stir-fried in mustard oil with onion, nigella seeds, turmeric and green chilli until tender with crisp golden tips. It is a breakfast with paratha, a lunch with rice and daal, and a favourite with children. The common mistake is skipping the rinse, so the starch glues the matchsticks into a clump that breaks as you stir. Chef's tip: cut the strips no thicker than a pencil; they cook through in the time the edges take to brown.
- Total time
- 22 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 16 oz potatoespeeled, cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 tbsp mustard oilor vegetable oil
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 2 green chilliesslit
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 16 oz potatoes in a bowl of cold water, swishing them around, until the water runs almost clear. Drain and pat dry in a clean tea towel.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add ½ tsp nigella seeds and let it crackle for 10 seconds.
1 minStep 3: Add 1 onion and 2 green chillies and fry until the onion is soft and translucent.
2 minStep 4: Add the potatoes, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ¾ tsp salt and toss to coat. Spread them out and cook, turning gently every minute or so, until a matchstick snaps soft in the middle and the tips are golden.
9 minStep 5: Taste for salt and serve hot with rice, daal or paratha.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does alu bhaji take?
- About 22 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 12 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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