Jeera Aloo is an utterly delicious Indian vegetable side dish of potatoes with cumin seeds and turmeric. Its simple preparation gives yummy potatoes an opportunity to shine. You need just seven ingredients and the recipe comes together in 20 minutes. Serve it with an Indian bread like roti or puri.
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What is jeera aloo?
Jeera aloo is a simple north Indian vegetable side dish of boiled potatoes (aloo) sautéed with simple seasonings like curry leaves, ginger, turmeric and cumin seeds (jeera). This is the sort of dish my mom would throw together in a rush when she was pressed for time with many mouths to feed, and it's exactly what I make when I am rushed, or when I want a tasty but easy side dish to eat with roti or a simple meal of dal and rice.
Because jeera aloo is a simple, homestyle dish, there is no one way to make it. Some cooks dial up the spice and seasonings, others add tomatoes, like I do in my Bombay potatoes recipe. I save the fireworks for recipes like my masala potatoes but keep my jeera aloo really simple because I like to give eaters a chance to experience the incredible flavor chemistry that potatoes and cumin create together. The spice in this recipe comes from green chili peppers, which add freshness as well. You can tweak the amount of chili peppers to your taste.
If you love potatoes, you will love how guilt-free this recipe is. Potatoes are a supremely healthy food, packed as they are with antioxidants and vitamins. Cooked this way, with little oil and good-for-you herbs and spices, they are a health star.
In India, jeera aloo is often eaten as a cleansing food during fasting periods, and it's easy to see why. It comes together in a jiffy - 20 minutes, tops - and that's really welcome when you've spent the whole day without food and have no inclination to cook an elaborate side dish. If you use organic potatoes you can skip peeling them. Many nutrients in potatoes are in or right under the skin and by retaining the skins you get the full benefit of eating this delicious veggie.
If you're a new cook, this is a terrific Indian dish to dip your toes with. It is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free, so it works for nearly everybody, and who doesn't love potatoes? My son, Jay, who was a picky eater, loved jeera aloo so it's certified kid-friendly as well.
Potatoes shine bright in Indian recipes. Try them in this spectacular aloo gobi, potato masala and easy potato curry.
Recipe card
Jeera Aloo
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes (waxy potatoes are best for this recipe).
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 20 curry leaves (can sub with 2 tablespoons of cilantro)
- 1-inch knob ginger (julienned)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 green chili peppers (like jalapeno or serrano, finely minced. Deseed if sensitive to heat.)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wok or large fry pan. Add the cumin seeds and as they start to darken slightly, add the curry leaves, ginger, green chili peppers, and turmeric.Â
- Stir quickly to mix and add the potato cubes.
- Stir-fry the potatoes for a couple of minutes to warm them through. Add salt and turn off heat. You can squeeze some lemon juice into this sabzi, but I prefer it without any.
Nutrition Information
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Jeera aloo FAQs
You can make jeera aloo with any variety of potato. However, a waxy potato variety like golden or red potatoes will hold their shape well after cooking, whereas a starchy potato will fall apart. It will still taste yummy, though.
It is easy to burn cumin seeds, so it's key to stop them from cooking before they overcook. Cumin seeds don't sputter readily like mustard seeds do, so a good rule of thumb is to just let them darken very slightly in the pan, no more than 30 seconds on medium high heat. As soon as they release their aroma, add the other ingredients.
Jeera aloo is wonderful with Indian breads like roti or puri. If I were serving it with a vegan naan I'd also have a saucy sabzi on the side, like vegan palak paneer, vegan paneer butter masala or pindi chole. You can also serve jeera aloo with basmati rice and dal.
Refrigerate jeera aloo for up to four days and freeze for up to three months. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Erin says
Thanks for the recipe, it is super tasty! I love it with fresh coriander as a garnish. I make it without the chili peppers. Sometimes I add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper instead.
Vaishali Honawar says
So happy you loved it, Erin!
Foodzu says
Jeera Aloo combination was awesome. Thanks for sharing nice recipe.
Vaishali Honawar says
So happy you loved it!
Manju says
I love Jeera Aloo, and this recipe sounds simple and delicious. Will be making it for sure. Thanks, Vaishali