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Vrat ke aloo
Fasting potato curry
व्रत के आलू: hand-broken potatoes simmered in a thin tomato, cumin and ginger gravy with rock salt, the North Indian Navratri partner for kuttu puri
On Navratri mornings in Delhi, Lucknow and Punjabi homes everywhere, this is what fills the kadhai next to the kuttu puri. Boiled potatoes are broken by hand, not cut, so their rough edges melt into a loose, brothy gravy of tomato, cumin, fresh ginger and green chilli, seasoned only with sendha namak and a little pepper. It is soupy enough to dunk puri into, tangy from the tomato and gently hot, and comforting after a morning of fasting. Very strict homes skip red chilli powder and coriander as well as turmeric and asafoetida; this recipe uses neither turmeric nor hing. Ghee is traditional; oil keeps it vegan. Chef's tip: mash two or three pieces of potato into the gravy as it simmers; the starch thickens it naturally, since no flour or onion is allowed.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoes
- 2 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oilor ghee (then not vegan)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 2 tomatoesfinely chopped or puréed
- ½ tsp red chilli powderskip on strict fasts
- 1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ¾ cups hot water
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ⅛ lb potatoes in their skins in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles, or simmer for 20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Peel while warm and break into rough bite-sized chunks with your hands.
15 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let it sizzle until it darkens a shade, about 20 seconds.
Step 3: Add 1 tsp fresh ginger and 2 green chillies and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 4: Add 2 tomatoes, ½ tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp sendha namak (rock salt) and cook for 4–5 minutes, mashing, until the tomatoes break down and the oil shows at the edges.
5 minStep 5: Add the potatoes and 1 ¾ cups hot water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, mashing a few pieces of potato against the side to thicken the gravy slightly. Common mistake: boiling it down thick; it should stay loose enough to dip puri into.
5 minStep 6: Season with ¼ tsp ground black pepper, scatter over 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot with kuttu ki puri.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vrat ke aloo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 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 cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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