AI-generated image
Batata nu rasawalu shaak
Potato curry in thin gravy
બટાકાનું રસાવાળું શાક: thin sweet-tangy Gujarati potato and tomato curry for puri
Batata nu rasawalu shaak is the potato curry that arrives with hot puris at Gujarati wedding breakfasts, Sunday brunches and festival thalis, and it is one of the first curries children in Gujarat love. Soft potato chunks float in a thin, red, sweet-and-sour gravy with mustard seed, curry leaves and hing, lightly spicy and very comforting. Serve with puri, rotli or plain rice. The usual mistake is cutting the potatoes in uneven pieces, so some fall apart while others stay hard; cut them all the same size. Chef's tip: once the potatoes are cooked, mash a few against the side of the pan; the starch gives the rasa (gravy) body without any flour.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida
- 2 tomatoesfinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp coriander-cumin powder
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoespeeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp jaggery
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a pressure cooker or heavy pot over a medium heat. Add the 1 tsp mustard seeds and, when it pops, the ½ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and 8 curry leaves for 10 seconds.
2 minStep 2: Add the 1 tbsp green chilli and ginger paste and 2 tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes until the tomatoes soften. Stir in the ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 1 ½ tsp coriander-cumin powder.
4 minStep 4: Check the potatoes: a cube should crush easily with a spoon. Mash a few against the side of the pot, add the 1 ½ tbsp jaggery and 1 tbsp lemon juice and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes until the gravy is lightly thickened but still thin and soupy.
3 minStep 5: Taste: it should be sweet, sour and gently hot. Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with hot puri.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does batata nu rasawalu shaak take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 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 mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushroomsBraised tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Vietnamese
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.
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.