Nepali Potato Curry: Aloo ko Tarkari

Of Cold Mornings and Eating Well

This post is dedicated to SS and her way of making aloo ko tarkari (Nepali Potato Curry) for breakfast. A young Nepali girl of nineteen, SS would wake up in the morning, wash a bunch of potatoes, boil it, and then cook it up into a simple curry with onions and tomatoes. She would proceed to serve it to a sleepy me, who, at 8 am, had just woken up and realised that the world had moved on without her. I would stumble down the stairs to the small dining table and proceed to eat a batch of this with hot pooris or sel roti before getting ready for work. Someday, the curry would be runny, someday it would be thick and mushy – I loved both versions.

This was the routine. In those three weeks about a decade ago, I ate whatever she cooked without a single complaint. On retrospect, it was partly because I would be too tired after traipsing across the mountainous terrains all through the day, but mostly because I was in love with the flavors of the curry she made. This recipe would come together in ten minutes or so, and then all it needed was a halfhearted stir here and there, just to keep things alive, for about 20 minutes. While the pot bubbled away, she would roll out pooris or rotis. Then, she would cook them after I stumbled downstairs, my glasses almost falling off my nose in my haste.

I learned this recipe watching her cook it. She would make variations to it, every now and then. Sometimes, she would put fenugreek leaves in it. At times, she would add other vegetables, or not add garlic, but overall, it would follow a very basic routine.

I like routines.

How to Make Nepali Potato Curry

I admit, there are many versions of Nepali potato curry. This version is something I picked up from SS. To make Aloo ko Tarkari, you need mealy potatoes which tend to break and disintegrate into the gravy. Therefore, picking even-sized, slightly large potatoes, about 500 gm., preferably thin-skinned, is a good idea. Scrub them well, and while I don’t generally peel them, you can always do so at the expense of nutrition and texture. Cut into large dice (about an inch or more so would be fine). Cook them with some water till soft. Remove from heat and reserve.

In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add a couple of red chillies, a bay leaf or two, a large pinch of mustard seeds and a large pinch of fenugreek seeds. Let this splutter, then add a couple of teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste. Stir till the ginger-garlic paste is no longer raw but is a lovely shade of golden brown. Then, add about 150 gm. tomatoes, preferably crushed and pureed (use a mixer grinder to do this quickly, or, if you don’t have it, just finely chop the tomatoes). Cook for at least ten minutes, adding a bit of water here and there, to ensure that the tomatoes are thoroughly cooked.

At this point, add a couple of green chillies. I tend to break these in half before adding for some additional heat. Stir well. Add the potatoes, and at least a cup of water.

Now, contemplate spicing. I like keeping the spice quotient to a minimum, so I add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of chopped cilantro or coriander leaves. Or, if you find wild coriander around wherever you stay, add it, or, a handful of fenugreek leaves (its incredibly flavorful here, by the way). Mix to incorporate. Cover, and cook over simmered heat for at least 10 minutes.

With the back of your spoon, gently crush some of the potatoes to make the gravy thick and chunky. Add more water to make this as runny or thick as you like it. Then, add salt to taste (and if you want, some sugar). Finally, top with a little bit more cilantro before killing the heat and taking the dish off heat. Dish out this bowl of Nepali Potato Curry on its own, or with hot pooris, roti, or slices of bread.