Aloo bhaji, if you are familiar with Indian Bangladeshi food then you will most probably know what aloo bhaji is. Bright yellow colored thin pieces of potatoes cooked in onions with a blend of spices. Mmm and delicious of course with rice or roti’s. Aloo bhaji has been around for a very long time, I remember having it as a kid and as simple as it looks the taste is definitely satisfying. I remember my mom making this dish, it just looked so bright and beautiful. Oh not to forget my hubby he is a big aloo bhaji lover, so I make this dish pretty often now.

Warm aloo bhaji with roti’s, it’s the perfect desi style breakfast. Even as a main or side dish with other curries and white rice for lunch or dinner it taste great. During my visits to Bangladesh I enjoy the big desi style breakfast with numerous items to eat and aloo bhaji is always up there too. Bangladeshi breakfast is pretty much a big feast!

Aloo bhaji is a very easy simple dish to make and the most work that is involved is probably cutting the potatoes up. The rest is pretty straight forward.

Kids also love this dish, it’s yummy and appealing enough to want try out. So go ahead and try this super simple and delicious recipe out.

The ingredients

Potatoes

You can use any type of white potatoes. In this recipe I use 4-5 medium sized potatoes, skin off and sliced thinly, then cut those slices into smaller pieces (like very small pieces of fries). Soak the cut up pieces of potatoes in water for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any starch.

Onions

For this recipe I will be using 2 medium sized onions, more the onions the more tasty the overall dish will be. The onions are the base of this dish and serve as the masala base. Onions are cooked with some salt in oil for a few minutes until slightly golden in color.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are something extra I like to use, I don’t remember my mom using tomatoes but I think tomatoes give out that extra taste and add a great depth of flavor to the masala base. So one or even two tomatoes will do. Cut into wedges. The tomatoes are added in once the onions are cooked. The tomatoes are then cooked for an additional 2-3 minutes just until soft.

Spices

The spices that will be used in this recipe are turmeric, chili and coriander powder. I like to keep to a small range of spices just because I personally prefer to use less spices when it comes to cooking fresh produce. A little goes a long way. The spices are cooked in with the onions and tomatoes for 1-2 minutes until some of the oil comes to the surface indicating that the spices are cooked.

Cooking the potatoes

Once all the spices are cooked with the onions and tomatoes in go the drained pieces of potatoes. On a medium high flame the potatoes are mixed in with the masala base. The pan is covered with a lid and the potatoes are cooked for 6-7 minutes. After this time the potatoes are lightly stirred and cooked for an additional 8-10 minutes on medium flame again covered with a lid and occasionally checked upon to make sure nothing is sticking to the base of the pan. Then uncover the pan and garnish with fresh green chilies and freshly chopped cilantro, stirring ever so lightly so nothing gets mushed up. Take the pan off the heat and serve hot with rice and roti’s.

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

A delicious and easy Aloo bhaji recipe

Recipe by Shema Course: MainCuisine: BangladeshiDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

8

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Easy Aloo Bhaji Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of cooking oil
  

• 2 medium sized onions thinly sliced
  

• 2 teaspoons of salt
  

• 2 medium sized tomatoes cut into wedges
  

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander power
  

• 4-5 medium sized potatoes peeled and cut into small thin pieces, (sticks or fries style, look at photo in blog above)
  

• 2-3 green chilies cut through the middle across the length
  

• Handful of freshly chopped cilantro
  
  

Directions

• Peel the potatoes and slice the potatoes thinly, then cut those slices into smaller pieces (like very small pieces of fries). Soak the cut up pieces of potatoes in water for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any starch.
• Heat up 1/4 cup of oil in a wide pan or wok and add in the sliced onions and salt, stir
• Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden
• Add in the cut up tomato wedges, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft
• Add In the spices one by one, turmeric, chili and coriander powder, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes until some of the oil comes to the surface indicating that the spices are cooked
• Add in the drained pieces of potatoes, stir so that the potatoes are mixed in with the masala base. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-7 minutes
• Again lightly stir and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes on medium flame again covered with a lid and occasionally check to make sure nothing is sticking to the base of the pan
• Uncover the pan and garnish with fresh green chilies and freshly chopped cilantro, gently stir so nothing gets mushed up
• Take the pan off the heat and serve hot with rice or roti’s.

Notes

• Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.