Jeera Aloo Recipe ( Cumin Potatoes ) :
This is a quick, simple and delicious dish that can be made even by novice cooks. It is a side dish that can be eaten with rice, dal, roti, paratha, poori etc.
I often make jeera aloo for the office and school lunch box as there is no preparation work involved for this recipe. Like most other kids, mine too love potatoes. They enjoy this just with any thing, rice or roti as a side.
Sometimes I also use it as a filling in the Kathi Rolls and sandwiches along with some julienned veggies. This is a dry dish, so it is good to serve along with a gravy, Dal or at least a raita.
About This Recipe :
My Recipes will give you jeera aloo that is super flavorful and not all bland. It has a punch of flavors from whole the cumin seeds, ground cumin, ginger, red chilli powder, coriander powder and kasuri methi. Jeera Aloo is served in most Indian restaurants in an North Indian thali. There are a few different ways it is made. some people make it just by sauteing the aloo with jeera, green chillies and ginger.
But I make it with more whole and ground spices. So, this recipe will give you a very good aromatic, mildly, spicy and having a good delicious Jeera aloo that you can even enjoy with a just plain rice or with a yogurt.
Usually Jeera Aloo is made very simple without the addition of a lot of a spices. But my version does use them for a burst of a flavors.
How to Make Jeera Aloo :
1. Wash potatoes throughly. Boil them just until cooked and not mushy. You can boil them in a pot, stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot. You can also cube of the potatoes first and add them to a steam basket. Steam them in pressure cooker or in a pot.
The potatoes must giving a hold shape and not become mushy.
2. Boiling the Potatoes in a Pot Here i cooked them directly in a pot by covering the potatoes with just enough water. Bring the water to a rolling boil to reduce the flame to medium of a heat.
Cover and cook them until the fork tender but not be mushy.
3. Boil in Pressure Cooker: Pour 1 cup water to your stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot. Place potatoes and cook them 3 to 4 whistles depend on the size of the potatoes. If doing in a IP, press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 6 to 8 minutes, depend on size, For the largest russet potatoes, cook for the 10 minutes.
4. To Check if they cooked, pick with a spoon ( if they uncooked they fell hard). Cool them and remove skin from potatoes. Cut in cubes
5. Tempering- Next add 2 spoon ghee or oil to the hot pan. add 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and fry on a low heat until they smells a good.
6. Add 1 chopped green chilli and 1 spoon fine chopped ginger. use chilli when you want ( kids at home not used ), Ginger is optional but also add because they gives flavor. You can also add ginger garlic paste
Fry them for a minute until the aroma comes out. Then add 1 Pinch of hing. (You can also skip a hing). Take care not to over fry ginger as it may lend a bitter taste.
6. Reduce the flame to low. Add 3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder. 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder.
Add 1/4 teaspoon dried mango powder ( amchur). you can skip this and add lemon juice later.
Add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon salt and 1 spoon kasuri methi too. You can skip kasuri methi, But we love that as it adds a unique aroma.
7. Mix and fry for a 30 minutes. Do not burn, quickly pour 3 spoon water and mix well. After that soon the spice powder blends well with water and thickens.
8. Sauteing Jeera Aloo
Next add in the potatoes and toss them gently, Do not remove over the mixing otherwise they may turn mushy.
9. Cover and cook on the lowest flame. this help jeera aloo to absorb the flavors. Taste it and add more the salt if they needed. Finally sprinkle finely chopped with the Coriander leaves.
At last, Serve Jeera aloo as a side with a rice, roti or paratha. It is also goes well in the sandwiches, wrap or rolls.