Chettinad Potato Roast | Potato Fry South Indian Recipe | Spicy Aloo Fry | Urulai Kizhangu Varuval

Chettinad cuisine is well known for their freshly ground spice mixes and this recipe is no exception. Today I’m here to share a very simple yet delicious delicacy from this cuisine- Chettinad Potato Roast. Potatoes are so versatile that it lends itself to spices, pleasing the palate. They are everyones favourites and have made a special place for themselves in every cuisine.

The moment you hear the term “Potato Fry” is so salivating…. right? Among the myriad ways to prepare this fry, Chettinad Potato Roast is one very scrumptious dry curry. I’m sure it’s hard to find someone who will not love the taste of potatoes and especially the fry version. But of course, now a days most of them are conscious of its high calories and they try to reduce its intake. But this Chettinad Potato Roast is sure to tempt your taste buds.

Chettinad is a small region in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is very famous for its spicy and aromatic cuisine, palatial homes, and beautiful local arts and crafts. Chettinad food is a feast for the gourmet. The spice kick comes from a generous dose of pepper and not chilli, making it subtly spicy but not hot. 

Chettinad recipes are mostly based on freshly ground masala powders. The key to their cooking is getting the proportions of the masala right. The various spices are dry roasted in a pan over low heat (another key factor) and then allowed to cool. Then they are ground to a coarse or fine powder and added to the dish later on. So let’s go and roast some spices.

Off to the recipe for Chettinad Potato Roast!!

Step-by-Step process to make Chettinad Potato Roast:

The process involves 3 simple steps:

1. Boiling potatoes and marinating
2. Preparing spice powder
3. Roasting potatoes

1. Boiling potatoes & marinating:

• Wash potatoes and boil them in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
• Meanwhile chop onions, peel garlic and set aside.

• Peel boiled potatoes and cut into medium sized cubes.

• To the potato cubes add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and set aside.

2. Preparing Spice Powder:

• Heat a small pan over medium heat and dry roast the ingredients under “To roast and grind”. 
• Roast till the lentils turn golden brown.

• Allow the roasted ingredients to cool down.
• Transfer to a blender and grind to form a coarse powder.

3. Roasting Potatoes:

• Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. 
• Now add chopped onions, curry leaves and peeled garlic.
• Sauté till onions turn translucent.

• Add the marinated boiled potato cubes and stir carefully.
• Adjust salt if required and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until you get a nice crisp on the potato cubes.

• Now add the ground spice powder and mix well.
• Give it a good fry till you get a nice golden brown colour and a crisp to the potatoes.
• Turn off the heat and serve hot as a side with rice and sambar, rasam or pappucharu.

A Quick Summary:

Print Recipe

Chettinad Potato Roast | Potato Fry South Indian Recipe | Spicy Aloo Fry | Urulai Kizhangu Varuval

Chettinad potato roast is a scrumptious dry curry of versatile potatoes prepared with freshly ground spice masalas along with few other ingredients.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian (Chettinad)

Servings: 3 to 4

Author: Padma

Ingredients

• 3 Large Potatoes boiled, peeled & cubed
• To Marinate:
• 1/2 teaspoon Red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Required salt
• To Roast and grind:
• 3 Red chillies
• 1 teaspoon Channa dal
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Urad dal
• 1/2 teaspoon Coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Whole Black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• Other Ingredients for roasting:
• 1 Tablespoon Oil increase to get a very crispy texture
• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 1 Large Onion thinly sliced lengthwise
• 8 to 10 Garlic pods peeled
• Few Curry Leaves

Instructions

• Marinating potatoes:
• Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to the boiled potato cubes., mix and set aside.
• Preparing spice powder:
• Heat a small pan over medium heat and dry roast the ingredients under “To roast and grind” till golden brown.
• Cool and grind in a blender to form a coarse powder.
• Roasting Potatoes:
• Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
• Now add chopped onions, curry leaves and peeled garlic. Sauté till translucent.
• Add the potato cubes, adjust salt if required and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until you get a nice crisp on the potato cubes.
• Now add the ground spice powder, mix & fry to get a golden brown colour.
• Serve hot with rice.

My NOTES:

1. Try out this recipe with baby potatoes, it’s good!!
2. Adjust spices according to your taste.
3. Optionally you can also include cinnamon and cloves in the spice powder.
4. Using an iron kadai gives a very crisp to the potatoes but may require more oil. Using a non-stick pan requires less oil.
5. Do not overcook the potatoes while boiling them.
6. You can make this spice powder mix in advance and store it to use for many other veggie stir fries like brinjal, raw banana, beans or any veggies of your choice.

This is a part of the blog hop theme “Potatoes” for this month. Do check out delicious recipes from the Culinary Hoppers team:

1. Piyali (Bhapa Aloo)
2. Vani (Aloo Bhujia)
3. Parvathy (Rostii-Swiss Potato Pancakes)
4. Poornima (Crispy baked samosas)
5. Jayashree (Frankie potato wrap)
6. Shubha (Aloo Halwa)
7. Swati (Aloo matar parcel samosa)

Happy Cooking 🙂

Cheers!!

Padma.