Potato Curry

Potato curry is a gravy or dry dish made with potatoes and assorted spices. There are numerous variations for currying the potato which is considered to be a common dish in India and its neighboring countries.  The dish, also known as Aloo curry in India, is popular by the same name in the Carribbean islands where it had been introduced by the Indian laborers who were sent for working in the sugar plantations.

The basic recipes for the potato or aloo curry involve boiling the potatoes before frying them  together with spices and cooking them slowly over a period of time. While other ingredients like green peas, cauliflower and tomatoes are often  added to the potatoes while preparing curries, it is the standalone dish consisting of potatoes as the primary ingredient that is referred to as the potato curry. The curry is usually served with hot, with steamed rice or a variety of Indian flatbreads like rotis, puris or Parathas.

The curry has also been popularized in UK, courtesy the Indian and Pakistani immigrants ,where the boiled potatoes are sautéed together with curry powder and served with a garnish of cilantro. The Indian dish is a more elaborate affair that uses a variety of spices along with green chilies or red hot chili powder in addition. Garam masala powder is the common flavoring ingredient while the dish itself is cooked in a thick yogurt based gravy . The Indians living in the South of the country prefer coconut milk based gravies which are tempered liberally with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Overview of Potato Curry Recipes

The commonest and most popular form of potato curry is cooked with onions and garlic-ginger paste along with coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili powder as the essential spices. The boiled potatoes are fried along with the spices and onion, and pressure cooked or microwaved in a yogurt based gravy.

Tomatoes and tamarind juice are also used as a replacement of yogurt while  fresh coconut milk, used in Southern India, lends a unique taste to the curry. The vegetarian and vegan versions of the curry are prepared without onions and yogurt respectively.

Popular Variations of Potato Curry Recipes

There are quite a few variations of the curry consumed in different parts of the world. While the curry is usually gravy based, there are recipes of the curried potatoes that are extremely dry and contain absolutely no juices. The popular recipes for potato curries include:-

• Aloo Curry- This curry, made with diced potatoes and spices is consumed in Surinam and Guyana. The use of Scotch bonnet chile pepper as well as chicken or vegetable broth is a local innovation.
   
• Dum Aloo- A traditional curry dish that consists of whole baby potatoes cooked in a rich spicy gravy. It is frequently prepared with cashew paste and aromatic spices and is consumed on festive occasions.
   
• Balti Potatoes- This dish is popular across UK and is prepared by tempering the boiled potatoes with whole spices that include fenugreek, cumin, mustard and coriander seeds. Both green as well as red chilies are used to prepare the dish which consists of tender yet crispy potatoes.

Trivia

Xiangzhai, is a special form of Tibetian Potato curry that is eaten during Losar, the Tibetan New Year.