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    Home > Recipes > Indian

    Aloo Bhaji

    Published: Oct 26, 2020 · Modified: May 10, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 31 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    ingredients for aloo bahji on a grey cutting board
    stirring aloo bahji in a cast iron skillet
    aloo bahji
    stirring aloo bahji in a cast iron skillet

    Aloo Bhaji, Indian-spiced potatoes, are seasoned with mustard seeds, turmeric, and garlic. Serve them with your favorite Indian dishes or top them with a fried egg for a simple vegetarian meal.

    What (you might be wondering) are these bright yellow potatoes? This, friends, is Aloo Bhaji - Indian-spiced potatoes. They are super flavorful (not actually spicy unless you want them to be), tender and golden, and so easy to make. Cilantro, lime juice, and a bit of yogurt add flavor to the finished dish.

    Years ago, Frank and I traveled to India. It was, without a doubt, the trip of a lifetime. (Though actually….hopefully not, since I’d like to go again.) We ate a ton of amazing food, but it was the humble first meal of the trip that I remember most vividly. That's usually the case, isn’t it? The meal was breakfast of aloo bhaji served with puffy, tender naan. It was a perfect breakfast - cozy and filling and packed with flavor.

    I first published my recipe for Aloo Bhaji shortly after that trip in 2013, but these travel-limited pandemic times have me thinking dreamily of trips past. I'm watching Emily in Paris and dreaming of Paris, and making Aloo Bhaji and dreaming of India.

    We will all travel again, but until we can...there will be food.

    ingredients for aloo bahji

    Ingredients for Aloo Bhaji

    • Vegetable Oil - Use any high-heat cooking oil. 
    • Ghee - Ghee is clarified butter used in Indian cooking, but unsalted butter will work just fine in this recipe if it’s all you have. 
    • Potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes will hold their shape a bit better while cooking, but Russet potatoes work great in this method as well. Russet potatoes just break down a bit and will have less well-defined edges / corners than Yukon gold.
    • White Onion - These caramelize lightly while the potatoes cook and add flavor. 
    • Jalapeños - Use the whole pepper, or remove the seeds and membrane before chopping if you want to reduce the spice. You can skip this if you don’t want any spice at all.
    • Mustard Seeds - Don’t skip these little seeds - they add great flavor and texture. 
    • Garlic Powder, Dried Turmeric, Salt - Use these to add flavor. Be sure to use garlic powder, not garlic salt. 
    • Cilantro, Lime Juice - These add flavor and color to the finished dish. 
    • Yogurt - Totally optional, but use some plain yogurt for creaminess on the finished dish if you’d like.  
    stirring aloo bahji in a cast iron skillet

    More Easy Indian-Inspired Recipes

    • Indian Chicken Burgers with Mango Salsa and Cucumber Raita
    • Instant Pot Chickpea Curry
    • Goat Cheese Naan

    Favorite Tools

    • Lodge Cast Iron Skillet - I use this 10.5-inch cast iron skillet nearly every day. To keep it seasoned, just be sure to dry it well and rub it with some oil before storing it (this will prevent rust and keep it seasoned). 
    • Global Chef’s Knife - You only really need one chef's knife to use for everything and this is my favorite. I've had it for 7+ years. It's incredibly lightweight. If you, like me, are under 5'4", the 6-inch is a perfect size (if you're taller, get the 8-inch).
    stirring aloo bahji in a cast iron skillet
    Print Recipe
    3.40 from 5 votes

    Aloo Bhaji Recipe

    Aloo Bhaji, fragrant Indian-spiced potatoes are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve them with your favorite Indian dishes or top them with a fried egg for a simple vegetarian meal.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: breakfast side dish, Indian recipe, vegetarian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 255kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $3.00

    Equipment

    • Large Skillet

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (or any cooking oil)
    • 2 tablespoon Ghee or Unsalted Butter
    • 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
    • 2 Jalapeños, finely diced (if you want less spice, remove the seeds and membrane before dicing)
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
    • ½ cup finely diced White Onion
    • ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Dried Turmeric
    • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder (not garlic salt)
    • 2 tablespoon chopped Cilantro Leaves
    • 2 teaspoon Lime Juice
    • Plain Yogurt, for serving (optional)

    Instructions

    • Heat a large skillet (see note) over low-medium heat. (Note: on my electric range which heats from 1-10, I set the heat at 4 for these potatoes.)
    • Add oil and ghee / butter and stir gently until melted.
    • Add potatoes in a single layer and cover with a lid.
    • Cook potatoes, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes (resist the urge to lift the lid and check on them - keeping the lid closed helps them to steam and get started cooking).
    • Remove the lid and use a spatula to gently flip the potatoes. Over the top of the potatoes scatter jalapeños, mustard seeds, and onion. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes more.
    • Remove the lid and season potatoes with salt, dried turmeric, and garlic powder.
    • Continue cooking potatoes, flipping them occasionally with a spatula, until potatoes are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes more (depending on the size of the potato cubes).
    • Remove potatoes from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with some more salt, if needed.
    • Serve immediately. (Great with a spoonful of plain yogurt on top!)

    Notes

    Potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes will hold their shape a bit better while cooking, but Russet potatoes work great in this method as well. Russet potatoes just break down a bit and will have less well-defined edges / corners than Yukon gold.
    Skillet - Cast iron pans works best for fried potatoes because they allow the potatoes to crisp up without sticking. If you are concerned about the potatoes sticking, you can use a nonstick pan which also works well though the potatoes won’t get quite as crisp. No matter what type of pan you use, it should be one that has a lid and is large enough to hold all of the potatoes in a single layer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 763mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sweet as Sugar Cookies

      September 09, 2013 at 11:23 am

      Oh how I wish I had a dish of that right now. I just love spiced up food.

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 09, 2013 at 6:37 pm

        Me too - I love anything with spice!

        Reply
    2. angela@spinachtiger

      September 09, 2013 at 11:53 am

      I have access to curry leaves and lots of spices to make this dish. I'm not sure about coriander leaves though. Can I use ground coriander?

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 09, 2013 at 6:39 pm

        Hi Angela - that's great - I think curry leaves might be the more difficult thing to find for many people. So, this is a dish that will definitely benefit from fresh coriander (cilantro). However, I think the flavors are so nice, it would be worth trying it with ground coriander. You might try adding just 1/2 teaspoon and putting it into the pan with the dried turmeric. Hope that works!

        Reply
      • Alice

        September 09, 2020 at 6:41 pm

        Coriander leaves is the same as cilantro

        Reply
    3. Anne ~ Uni Homemaker

      September 09, 2013 at 12:12 pm

      Such a great way to cook potatoes. I love the flavor profile here. Delicious Jess!

      Reply
    4. Claire @ Claire K Creations

      September 09, 2013 at 1:04 pm

      Mmm I love anything potato so will definitely be trying this one. Love the photo of you with your potatoes Jess!

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 09, 2013 at 6:40 pm

        Haha - you know me, I never turn down the opportunity to be photographed with food. 😉

        Reply
    5. Sawsan@ Chef in disguise

      September 09, 2013 at 1:56 pm

      What a wonderful choice!
      With all those spices it must smell heavenly!

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 09, 2013 at 6:41 pm

        Definitely Sawsan - it smells so fantastic while cooking! We're having it again for dinner tonight!

        Reply
    6. Monica

      September 09, 2013 at 6:29 pm

      That looks absolutely scrumptious! I love the spices in these.

      Reply
    7. Amanda E

      September 09, 2013 at 7:57 pm

      Huge fans of Indian food over here and this potato dish looks outstanding! Pinning this for the future - great SRC pick

      Reply
    8. Ashley

      September 09, 2013 at 8:18 pm

      Wow, this sounds so good. So many spices! My husband would love it if I would make this for breakfast : ) Maybe one weekend - anything other than toast or granola/oatmeal never seems to work during the week! lol

      Reply
    9. Elizabeth@ Food Ramblings

      September 10, 2013 at 12:02 am

      Yum- great SRC pick!

      Reply
    10. Kate | Food Babbles

      September 10, 2013 at 12:58 am

      These potatoes sound so wonderful. They must be so very flavorful! I'll definitely be giving these a try.

      Reply
    11. Isabelle @ Crumb

      September 10, 2013 at 2:08 am

      Oh yum! I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I'm definitely a savoury kinda gal when breakfast is involved... so I'm totally drooling over that delicious-sounding Indian breakfast. (Especially since I can easily drink my body weight in mango lassi.)
      I suspect there's a very good chance these potatoes will be showing up on my weekend breakfast menu very soon. Love that gorgeous yellow hue from the turmeric!

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 13, 2013 at 5:09 pm

        The mango lassi is a dangerous thing for me to have on offer every day on vacation, Isabelle! I could definitely have it every day. These potatoes make for a near-perfect savory breakfast, in my humble opinion. They'd be great with an over-easy egg too. 😉

        Reply
    12. Debra

      September 10, 2013 at 5:55 am

      This looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
    13. Holly @ Holly's Helpings

      September 10, 2013 at 11:48 am

      I'm going to have to find a place to get all these ingredients because that looks so delicious. My parents recently went to India and couldn't stop talking about the food. Made me so jealous!

      Reply
    14. Claudia

      September 10, 2013 at 8:39 pm

      How much Turmeric do you use? I can't seem to find it in the recipe. Or maybe it is time for me to wear my glasses!!

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 10, 2013 at 8:45 pm

        Claudia - you are so right! Thank you for catching that - it should be corrected now.

        Reply
    15. Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef

      September 10, 2013 at 9:41 pm

      such a delicious potato dish! will definitely try this soon 🙂

      Reply
    16. Lesa @ Edesia's Notebook

      September 11, 2013 at 4:23 am

      Mmm, this is a gorgeous potato dish. I love the combination of spices!

      Reply
    17. chitchatchomp

      September 11, 2013 at 8:51 am

      What a delicious way to serve potatoes! 🙂

      Reply
    18. kristine

      September 11, 2013 at 6:34 pm

      Did you roll your own rotis!? Impressive 🙂

      Reply
      • Jess

        September 13, 2013 at 5:06 pm

        I wish! Do I sense a little cooking lesson at the Shah's might be on the table!? 😉

        Reply
    19. Tracy | Peanut Butter and Onion

      September 11, 2013 at 9:16 pm

      I LOVE INDIAN food. I can't wait to try this.... thanks for sharing

      Reply
    20. Tara

      September 12, 2013 at 3:31 am

      Looks so good! Great pick!

      Reply
    21. Monet

      September 16, 2013 at 10:19 am

      What a gorgeous dish! Such a vibrant hue! And I'm sure the flavors are wonderful. I love tumeric, and I'm always trying to find more recipes that feature the spice. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    22. Jaime

      March 17, 2014 at 2:29 pm

      Thanks for the recipe. 🙂

      Reply
    23. Jyotisharma

      July 23, 2018 at 3:26 am

      Nice

      Reply

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