Achari Aloo

Achari Aloo is a spicy, tangy and delicious potato dish infused with North Indian flavours. It is a delectable blend of carefully chosen spices and yoghurt, which can complete a home-cooked Indian meal.

Achari means pickled, but this recipe doesn’t use actual achar/pickle masala. It uses a combination of spices used in north Indian cooking such as fennel seeds (saunf), onion seeds (Kalonji), fenugreek seeds (methi dana) etc. which gives that exact ‘achari’ flavour and will give your meal an entirely new complexion.

Achari Dishes originate from Northern India, and despite not having any pickle masala they are named achari because they use spices that are used in making a traditional pickle mix. This is packed full of tangy flavours which all combine to provide a vibrant dish that will always bring a meal together. These dishes are the most unique of North-Indian cuisine and can always lift any meal.

After eating once, no one can resist these gobsmackingly good potatoes, which are sure to turn into a household favourite.

Helpful Tips and Tricks of making Achari Aloo:

• It’s best to use baby potatoes but in case you can’t find these, you can use normal potatoes.
• This dish tastes very good when made spicier. If you can handle spicy food just increase the red chilli powder to 1tsp.
• Please only par-boil the potatoes as we will be cooking them further and we don’t want them to crumble.
• Make sure to cook the yoghurt thoroughly till the oil separates as uncooked yoghurt will give an unpleasant taste and texture to the dish.

Achari Aloo

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes + Marination Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

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Ingredients

• 500 grams baby potatoes (boiled)
• 3 tbsp oil for shallow frying

For Potato Marinade:

• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp oil

For Gravy:

• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 green chilli, sliced
• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 cup yoghurt, whisked
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp mango powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1.5 tbsp mustard oil
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander 

method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and keep aside.
2. Peel the boiled potatoes and prick them with a fork, combine with the marinade in the bowl and toss gently. Keep aside for 20-25 minutes.
3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the marinated potatoes and shallow fry them over a medium heat till they are golden brown in colour. Drain and keep aside. 
4. Heat the mustard oil in a pan, add the fennel, mustard, fenugreek, Nigella and cumin seeds. 
5. When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida and bay leaves. Stir, add the sliced onions, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame till the onions are light brown in colour. 
6. Add the whisked yoghurt and stir continuously till the oil separates. 
7. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, mango powder, salt, and sauté on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Add the shallow fried potatoes and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, cook covered on a low flame until it reaches the desired consistency. 
8. Add the coriander leaves and serve hot.

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