This is by far one of the easiest and tastiest dishes that comes from the most simple ingredients. Aloo bhaji or simply a dry potato curry is another one of those Indian favourites found at many snack vendors. This is my wife's recipe which gets made quite regularly as it goes well as an accompainment dish with most basic Indian meals. Strange as it may seem, this dish actually enjoyed at breakfast time with some of my favourite style of deep fried Indian breads - the Puri or Luchi as my mother-in-law calls it. The light and crispy puri goes perfectly with this spicy potato melange that is a perfect pick-me-up kind of breakfast, if you know what I mean!
Now, while the ingredients list for this dish is quite short, don't be fooled as it does pack a punch of flavour. It is extremely easy to prepare, being a breakfast dish and the most tedious part is cutting the potato into fine matchstick lengths so that they cook evenly, and above all quickly.
Ingredients
5-6 medium size x Potatoes, washed and sliced into thin batons with the skin on
2 tbsp x Vegetable oil
2 x Onions, sliced thinly
2-3 x Red or green chillies (less if you want to keep the hotness down)
1 tsp x Coriander powder
1 tsp x Turmeric
1 scant tsp x Salt
Small cup of water
Coriander leaves to garnish (optional)
Directions
Slice the potato finely and place in a bowl of water to prevent them from oxydising and turning black
Place a large frying pan or wok on medium heat with the oil
Add the onion and chilli and fry gently for a few minutes until the onions are softened and browned
Drain the potato and pat dry with kitchen towel then add to the pan
Quickly add the spice powders and use a rubber spatula or spoon to combine the spices with the potato
Be very gentle with the potato as you want it to maintain the long thin batons as best as possible
Pour in a little water and mix through gentlyAs this is a dry dish you do not need a gravy but still want to ensure there is enough moisture so the potato does not catch or burn at the bottom of the pan
Lower the heat and place a lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes
The steam from the dish will cook the potato very quickly, keep stirring occasionally so that it does not stick
Test a few strands of potato to check if they are done
Remove from heat and serve with a garnish of fresh corainder leaves
