Skip to main content

South Indian Potato Curry

A southern potato curry from the Chennai region. In Chennai, this would be served with rice, and in the north, with a flatbread. Dal and vegetables should be added to the meal.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4¿6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal or yellow split peas
2 dried hot red chilies
15–20 fresh curry leaves, or 10 fresh basil leaves, torn up
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon store-bought garam masala
1 pound red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut milk from a well-shaken can
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

  1. Pour the oil into a medium pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds, urad dal, and red chilies. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the curry leaves and onions. Turn heat to medium. Stir and fry the onions for about 3 minutes or until they have softened but not browned. Put in the tomatoes, coriander, cayenne, and garam masala. Stir for a minute. Add the potatoes and stir a minute. Now pour in 1 cup water and the salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook 15–20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the coconut milk and cilantro and stir them in.

Image may contain: Human, Person, Madhur Jaffrey, and Plant
Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the full book from Amazon.
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Put that half-full tub to use with recipes that go beyond the Italian American classics.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
This easy, one-skillet chicken stroganoff features tender chicken breasts, savory mushrooms, and a creamy Dijon-crème fraîche sauce—perfect for weeknights.
Like Sri Lankan cashew curry and vegan stuffed shells.
Use this simple vinaigrette to dress a plate of greens, some steamed potatoes, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.