Simple aloo fry recipe

Ingredients

(For a quick and simple fry)

• Potatoes- 2-3 (You can use any type of potato – red, russet, yukon gold, baby potatoes, purple potatoes etc.)
• Chilly Powder – 1-3 tsp (to suit your taste)
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 2-3 tblsp

(For a more elaborate chatpatta fry)

• Onion – 1/4 (sliced) – You can also use 3-4 whole pearl onions instead
• Garlic Powder – 1/4 tsp (or 1 clove garlic crushed)
• Crushed Cumin Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Fennel Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1/4 tsp
• Crushed Peppercorns – 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves – 1 spring (Chopped)
• Cashew nuts – 1-2 tblsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Method

For the simple and quick potato fry

1. Wash the potatoes and peel them. You can even leave the skin on. 
2. Cut the potatoes into uniform sized cubes. You can cut it into small cubes, long stripes or medium sized chunks. 
3. Mix the chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt with the potato pieces. 
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the potato pieces and fry till the potatoes are cooked through. 

For the chatpatta spicy potato fry

1. Wash the potatoes and peel them or leave the skin on. 
2. Cut the potatoes into uniform sized pieces of your desired shape.
3. Partially boil the potatoes in the microwave or stovetop. This step is optional but it speeds up the frying process.
4. Take the potato pieces in a bowl and mix the spices with it. (If you do not have one or two of the above mentioned spices, just skip it. Potato fry will still taste good. You can also add 2-3 tsp of any brand chicken masala powder instead of all the above spices.)
5. Heat oil in a non stick pan or kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
6. Add the onions and cashew nuts and fry for a minute.
7. Add the spice rubbed potato pices. Keep the heat on medium high and start frying.
8. Stir fry till all the pieces are completely cooked and the potatoes become little crispy.

Variation

You can add any chopped vegetable with the partially cooked potatoes and fry it. This not only makes a good side dish for chapattis but is also an interesting way of including unpleasant vegetables into the diet. The addition of potatoes takes the vegetables to a whole new level and makes it very delectable. Some of the combinations that I have tried are potato capsicum fry, potato broccoli fry, potato beans fry, potato corn fry, potato with fenugreek leaves (aloo methi), potato carrot fry, potato radish fry, potato beetroot fry, potato knolkhol fry, potato soya fry, potato mushroom fry, potato turnip fry and potato cauliflower fry. The possibilities are endless.

Serving Suggestions

• This potato fry goes very well with white rice and curries like rasam, sambhar, mor kulambu etc.
• Potato fry is an excellent combination with any variety rice like lemon rice, tomato rice, mint rice, curd rice etc.
• It also goes well with chappattis, phulkas and pooris.
• It can also be used as a stuffing to make puffs, samosas or masala dosa.