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“My mother’s go-to road-trip food is this savory potato recipe served with chapatis, homemade yogurt, and pickles. I remember stopping off, during road trips, in parks for lunch and having aloo methi alongside homemade sandwiches instead of rest-stop takeout. What makes aloo methi such a good road-trip food is that it packs well, does not require heating to taste great, and is absolutely delicious thanks to the bold fenugreek leaves. When eaten with chapatis and yogurt, the meal is satiating and definitely hits the spot. If no road trip is pending, not to worry, as this potato side dish will go with any dal or rustic Indian meal. I like to cook the potatoes a little longer on medium-high heat so they sear and turn golden brown, leaving crispy bits at the bottom of the pan. If you’re anything like us, fighting over who gets the crispy potatoes always seems to be a thing!” – New Indian Basics: 100 Traditional and Modern Recipes from Arvinda’s Family Kitchen by Preena Chauhan and Arvinda Chauhan, Appetite by Random House
Aloo Methi
Ingredients
- 2 large or 4 medium Russet potatoes peeled
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 cups finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Indian chili powder add up to ½ teaspoon for more heat
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, then continue to thinly slice in ⅛- to ¼-inch thick slices. Be sure that all the potatoes are of the same thickness so they cook at the same rate.
- In a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the potatoes and fenugreek. Sprinkle in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder, distributing the spices evenly over the potatoes. With a wide utensil or spatula, fold the potatoes so they are evenly coated with the spices and oil. Sprinkle in the salt and fold again.
- Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are softened, occasionally turning so they don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. If you want the potatoes to be slightly crispy, adjust the heat to medium-high toward the end of cooking and allow the potatoes to get golden brown. Serve with chapatis and dahi.
Notes
Excerpted from New Indian Basics: 100 Traditional and Modern Recipes from Arvinda’s Family Kitchen by Preena Chauhan and Arvinda Chauhan. Copyright © 2022 Preena Chauhan. Cover and book design by Andrew Roberts. Photography by Reena Newman, with photos on pages iii, 10, 18, 28, 129, 209, 255, 272 by Sandy Nicholson. Published in Canada by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
1 Comment
As a restaurant service provider in Charlottetown, PEI, I appreciate the value of a good road-trip snack, and aloo methi sounds like a winner! It’s fantastic how it combines convenience, flavor, and nostalgia all in one dish. The crispy potatoes are a highlight—I can already picture them perfectly complementing our menu. Thanks for the tasty inspiration!