Nepali Aloo – Crispy Garlic Vinegar Potatoes

Nepali aloo – crispy potatoes in a aromatic, spiced, ginger, garlic, vinegar sauce – is an excellent simple and flavorful aspect dish. In addition they make a scrumptious snack! This publish was initially printed on April 3, 2009.

This can be a recipe from when my husband and I first moved to Seattle after getting married. My maasi (that’s my auntie), visited us. At the moment, we have been dwelling a really bachelor sort of life, not cooking a lot at residence, however maasi needed to eat at residence, so she made a bunch of dishes and taught me the way to make them, too. One among these was these Nepali potatoes (Nepali aloo- potatoes from the nation of Nepal ), they usually have been so scrumptious and tremendous simple!

I don’t know the place she bought the recipe from, and there are a few completely different variations on-line. That is my maasi’s model, the place she fries up some ginger, garlic, and inexperienced chilies, after which makes a tarka: the spice oil with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Then she fries up some boiled potatoes and mixes them with all the tempering together with somewhat little bit of vinegar for tang. They make the perfect potatoes you’ve ever had!! The spices, ginger and garlic, vinegar all work amazingly with crisp potatoes.

That is my simplified model of Nepali aloo. You cook dinner the potatoes in a skillet, so that you don’t want to make use of a second pot boiling them. I additionally decreased the oil, so that you’ve got simply sufficient to cook dinner the entire spices, ginger, garlic, and inexperienced chili. Then, mix the crisped up potatoes with this spice oil combination, add the vinegar, cook dinner that for a bit, and that’s it.

It seems actually nice should you use sliced potatoes that aren’t too thick, as a result of they cook dinner shortly and have extra floor space to crisp up. Yellow potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes work greatest, however you need to use some other potatoes, as properly.

Why You’ll Love Nepali Potatoes

• tremendous simple, 1-pan, 30-minute aspect dish
• crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside potatoes in a scrumptious sauce
• so many wonderful taste from complete spices and aromatics and vinegar!
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Elements and Substitutions

• potatoes – Yellow/Yukon Gold potatoes are the perfect to make use of for Nepali potatoes, however you need to use any peeled and sliced potatoes you want. It’s also possible to use peeled child potatoes, if they’re lower than 1″ in measurement.
• complete spices – brown or black mustard seeds and cumin seeds are the bottom for the tempering.
• aromatics – julienned ginger, garlic, and inexperienced chilies add a lot taste! Just be sure you slice them thinly, like within the picture under.
• turmeric and salt – For colour and taste.
• white vinegar – For tang. You should use rice vinegar, should you favor.

The right way to Make Nepali potatoes

Peel and dice the potatoes, should you haven’t already. Warmth a skillet over medium-high warmth and add a teaspoon of oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, unfold the oil on the pan, then add the potatoes and unfold them evenly within the pan, in order that they don/t overlap. Allow them to sit undisturbed for a minute or two, then combine and flip. Cowl the skillet with a lid, cut back the warmth to medium-low, and proceed to cook dinner for about 5 minutes.

Open the lid, flip the potatoes, after which cowl once more, and cook dinner for an additional 6 to eight minutes till they’re cooked to your choice. Stir as soon as in between and even them out, in order that they’re not overlapping an excessive amount of. The potatoes will crisp on the sides however keep mushy within the center. Relying in your range, it’s possible you’ll want to show the warmth as much as medium to cook dinner them quicker. In case you’re utilizing child potatoes, add 1/4 cup of water earlier than overlaying with the lid and cooking for 10 to fifteen minutes till they’re cooked by. Take away the potatoes from the skillet and set them apart.

In the identical skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of oil and warmth it over medium-high warmth. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Prepare dinner till the mustard seeds begin to pop or at the very least change colour/lighten a bit and sizzle quickly. The cumin seeds ought to change into aromatic and darken considerably. Relying in your range and skillet, the mustard seeds might not pop, however they need to nonetheless lighten in colour and change into fragrant.

Scale back the warmth to low and permit the skillet to chill barely for a couple of seconds. Then, add the julienned ginger, garlic, inexperienced chilies and a pinch of salt. Combine all the pieces properly and cook dinner over low warmth till the garlic turns golden and is totally cooked. Add a teaspoon of oil if wanted to cook dinner the aromatics

Add within the crisped potatoes together with the turmeric, salt, and vinegar. Combine rather well, tossing properly to coat. Let the combination cook dinner for a few minute to cook dinner the sturdy taste of vinegar somewhat bit. Style and alter the salt and taste, then change off the warmth.

What to Serve with Nepali Potatoes

Serve these potatoes scorching with a aspect of dal and a few plain rice or Indo Chinese language fried rice. You possibly can garnish with cilantro, however I additionally like them as-is.