Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil and fry the cumin seeds until they darken a shade.
- Add chilli and ginger, then the potatoes.
- Sprinkle over turmeric, chilli, coriander and salt and toss on medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the potatoes crisp at the edges.
- Finish with amchur, coriander and lemon.
The spices that matter
The most common first spice in a tadka: crackle the seeds in hot oil or ghee before adding onions, dal or vegetables. Roasted and ground, it goes int…
No cumin? Caraway or shahi jeera are the closest whole-seed swaps. For ground cumin, use a little extra ground coriander with a pinch of chilli.
A pinch goes into almost every dal, sabzi and curry, usually with the onions or straight into the dal as it boils. Fresh turmeric root is pickled in …
No turmeric? There is no real substitute for flavour. For colour only, a tiny pinch of saffron or Kashmiri chilli changes the shade, but not the taste.
Adds heat to curries, dals, marinades and snacks. Most kitchens keep a hot powder for heat and Kashmiri chilli for colour.
No red chilli powder? Cayenne pepper is the closest swap. Mix with Kashmiri chilli or paprika to get colour with less heat.
Nice to have
Salt, oil or ghee, onions, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs are assumed. See how to make a tadka for the order to add whole spices.
Dishes with similar spices
Frequently asked questions
How long does jeera aloo take to make?
About 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
What spices are in jeera aloo?
The essentials are cumin, turmeric, red chilli powder. Nice to have: dry mango powder, coriander seed.
Tips from travellers
Use Jeera aloo differently at home? Share your tip. The first good one goes right here.