Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Maharashtra · Dinner

Aloo Masala

Mumbai's own dry potato masala — cubed potatoes fried in a seasoned masala with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and pav bhaji masala until each cube is golden-crisp outside and fluffy inside. Served as a filling for vada pav, inside pav, or as a standalone dinner side.

🧺 Ingredients

• 600 g potatoes, boiled until just cooked (not mushy), peeled and cut in 2 cm cubes
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion (100 g), finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp pav bhaji masala (Mumbai's characteristic spice blend)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander

👩‍🍳 How to make Aloo Masala

1. Temper (Heat: medium): Heat oil. Crackle mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves. Add green chillies — fry 15 seconds.
2. Fry onion (Heat: medium-high): Add chopped onion — fry on medium-high for 6–7 minutes until golden. Add ginger and garlic — fry 2 minutes.
3. Add masalas (Heat: medium): Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder — stir 30 seconds. Add pav bhaji masala — stir 20 seconds. The masala will colour the oil bright red-orange.
4. Add potato cubes (Heat: medium-high): Add the boiled potato cubes. Toss gently to coat with masala. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until each cube has golden-brown edges and the masala has formed a light crust on the surfaces.
5. Season and finish (Heat: off): Add salt and lemon juice. Toss. Taste — the masala should be bold and aromatic; pav bhaji masala is the distinctive Mumbai flavour. Garnish with fresh coriander.

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