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Home > Side Dish > Jeera Aloo (Bay Potatoes with Cumin Seeds)

Jeera Aloo (Bay Potatoes with Cumin Seeds)

Modified: Nov 17, 2023 · Published: Mar 13, 2018

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aloo jeera in bowl with text

Jeera aloo is a classic Indian side dish that tastes great paired with roti, naan, or rice. Boiled baby potatoes are sautéed with cumin seeds and spices. This simple, easy-to-cook side dish takes less than 15 minutes if you have your potatoes cooked. With no onions and no garlic, this is a great option during fasting days.

Jeera aloo in black cast iron pan and a spoon
Jump to:
  • About aloo jeera recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How to make jeera aloo
  • Variations
  • Useful tips
  • 📋Jeera Aloo

About aloo jeera recipe

Potato the humble root vegetable tastes delicious any way you cook it. Fry it, mash it, boil it, or add it to a curry – perfect and tasty. It would be hard to find someone who doesn’t love potatoes. Though it is high in carbohydrates, it’s hard to resist. No matter how hard I try to stay away from it, I just can’t succeed!

This vegetarian Indian side dish is popular across India and every household has its own signature aloo jeera recipe. Some make it spicy with ground dried red chili and other dried spices, some back it with light subtle flavors.

During Navaratri the fasting month that is celebrated in India, some stick to diet restrictions of excluding onion, garlic, and gluten from their food. Ginger, green chilies, and red chilies are used instead to enhance the flavor and taste of the dish.

A simple aloo jeera recipe with no onion and no garlic is a preferred side dish that is served alongside gluten-free flatbread and forms the most common meal during the fasting season.

The word aloo (Hindi language) translates to potato in English and jeera means cumin. This recipe uses generous amount of jeera both cumin seeds and ground cumin to enhance the flavor of potatoes.

Jeera aloo in black cast iron pan with rotis on side and a glass of water

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need –

  • Baby potatoes
  • Canola oil
  • Ginger grated
  • Cumin seeds
  • Ground cumin
  • Hing (asafetida)
  • Turmeric powder
  • Green chilies 
  • Amchur powder (dry mango powder)
  • Salt
  • Cilantro

All the ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.

  • Potatoes – baby potatoes or regular potatoes can be used. If using regular potatoes cut them into 1- inch cubes. Potatoes need to be boiled (until just cooked) before using in the recipe. Do not over cook potatoes, it will turn the dish mushy.
  • Canola oil – you can also use vegetable oil like sunflower oil.
  • Cumin – this recipe uses both whole cumin seeds and ground cumin (cumin powder).
  • Ginger – fresh ginger. I do not recommend ground ginger, it will alter the flavor and taste of the dish.
  • Asafetida – Optional but highly recommend you don’t skip it. You’ll need just a pinch of it. It’s aids in digestion.
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch of it. It not only adds a bright yellow color but has other healthy benefits. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Green chilies – add a spicy kick. It’s essential to add heat to the aloo jeera recipe else it will turn bland and unappealing. Feel free to adjust the quantity of green chilies as per your heat tolerance levels. If you like it spicy, add more chilies.
  • Amchur powder (dry mango powder) – it is only one of the essential flavor enhancers in Indian cuisine. Dry mango powder is always added at the end after the dish is cooked and the heat is off. If you can’t get amchur powder, you can squeeze 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice in the end.
  • Cilantro – for garnish.

This recipe is another simple way to cook the humble root vegetable. This Jeera Aloo recipe is as simple as the one I mentioned above. Green chilies in the recipe make the dish spicy. So go ahead and adjust the number you want to add. I would always prefer spicier jeera aloo sabzi.

How to make jeera aloo

Jeera aloo is a simple dish with big flavors. Boiled potatoes, mixed with some simple spices – ginger, jeera, green chilies, hing, and amchur powder taste simply delicious. Serve it as an appetizer or as a side dish. Made with no onion, and no garlic, this dish tastes out of the world and makes a delicious finger food during any party.

I have used baby potatoes, but you can use big potatoes cut into quarters. Boil the potatoes until it’s just done (not overcooked). From there on recipe is straightforward. Sauté in oil grated ginger, jeera (cumin seeds), ground cumin, hing( asafetida), green chilies, amchur powder (mango powder), or lime juice.

Serve jeera aloo as sabzi or side dish for rotis and phulkas or naan. For the starter option serve it with mint chutney on the side – bliss! Just dip one baby potato in mint chutney pop in your mouth. I bet you would end up eating it all. So fair warning – cook up a bigger batch. There won’t be leftovers, I speak from experience.

Variations

This simple side dish can be easily customized.

Baby potatoes can be substituted with regular potatoes diced into 1-inch cubes.

To make it more flavorful dry roast 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, 1 ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, and 3 dry red chilies until fragrant. Allow roasted spices to cool down a bit then coarsely ground the spices. Use these spices while sautéing boiled potatoes with the rest of the ingredients.

Useful tips

  1. Baby potatoes can be substituted with regular potatoes diced into 1-inch cubes.
  2. To make it more flavorful dry roast 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, 1 ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, and 3 dry red chilies until fragrant. Allow roasted spices to cool down a bit then coarsely ground the spices. Use these spices while sautéing boiled potatoes with the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Adjust the quantity of green chilies as per your heat tolerance levels.
  4. Heat oil well and then reduce flame for oil to cool down a bit. It’s important to heat oil well and then cool it a bit (so whole cumin seeds do not burn) before sautéing cumin seeds, which will infuse the cumin flavors in the oil.

Love potatoes? Then you’ll love these too-

  • Dum aloo restaurant style
  • Baked potato roses
  • Aloo tikki chaat

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Jeera aloo in black cast iron pan with rotis on side
Jeera aloo in black cast iron pan with rotis on a plate
5 from 7 votes

📋Jeera Aloo

Jyothi Rajesh
Jeera aloo is a classic Indian side dish that tastes great paired with roti, naan, or rice. Boiled baby potatoes are sautéed with cumin seeds and spices. This simple, easy-to-cook side dish takes less than 15 minutes if you have your potatoes cooked. With no onions and no garlic, this is a great option during fasting days.
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Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 152

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams baby potatoes boiled
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 4 green chilies finely chopped (adjust as per heat tolerance levels)
  • ½ teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) (if you can't get amchur powder, you can use freshly squeezed lemon)
  • salt to taste
  • coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Wash and boil baby potatoes in an open pot with enough water. Make sure the potatoes are not overcooked. They have to be just cooked and firm. Allow the potatoes to cool a bit, and peel the skin off the potatoes.
  • Heat oil in a skillet. Add cumin seeds and Hing. Then add chopped green chilies, ground cumin (cumin powder), salt, and turmeric powder and mix well.
  • Add boiled baby potatoes, and toss well.
  • Toss until potatoes are coated well in the spices.
  • Sauté for 5 minutes on low flame. Turn off the flame.
  • Add amchur powder, and give it a good mix.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander leaves(optional)
  • Serve hot as an appetizer or as a side dish with roti or naan.

Notes

  1. Baby potatoes can be substituted with regular potatoes diced into 1-inch cubes.
  2. To make it more flavorful dry roast 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, 1 ½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, and 3 dry red chilies until fragrant. Allow roasted spices to cool down a bit then coarsely ground the spices. Use these spices while sautéing boiled potatoes with the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Adjust the quantity of green chilies as per your heat tolerance levels.
  4. Heat oil well and then reduce flame for oil to cool down a bit. It’s important to heat oil well and then cool it a bit (so whole cumin seeds do not burn) before sautéing cumin seeds, which will infuse the cumin flavors in the oil.
 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 161mgPotassium: 571mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 27IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Follow @CurryTrail and tag #CurryTrail to share your creation!

Created by Jyothi Rajesh

Thank you for stopping by.

I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.

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    5 from 7 votes

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Silpa's Kitchen says

    December 04, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe. Can’t wait to try.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      December 04, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      Thank you Silpa. It’s my favorite without a doubt

      Reply
  2. Rebecca says

    March 26, 2018 at 9:52 pm

    5 stars
    these small potatoes look amazing! sign me up!

    Reply
  3. Deborah Leader says

    March 26, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    Nice, it’s totally vegan and I love that! Cumin seeds are such a fragrant spice to use, I bet they are amazing. Can’t wait to try.

    Reply
  4. Elaine @ Dishes Delish says

    March 26, 2018 at 9:00 pm

    5 stars
    I love all the different ways we can cook potatoes! I love to cook with cumin but I’ve never used the seed, only the ground form. This looks so delicious. The potatoes look creamy and scrumptious!

    Reply
  5. Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy says

    March 26, 2018 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    Such a classic! We absolutely love pairing this with jeera pulao, kachumber and raita!

    Reply
  6. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    March 26, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    5 stars
    What a delicious combination! I’ve never heard of this combination before but by the sounds of it, I know I’d really enjoy! Great way to mix up potatoes 🙂

    Reply
  7. Anna says

    March 26, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yes, it’s amazing how humble potato can create so many different dishes! And I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like them! Your recipe looks delicious, and your photos are so beautiful!

    Reply
  8. Danis says

    March 08, 2018 at 1:22 am

    Great post. Keep up good work. Good luck Share on Facebook.

    Good job.

    Reply

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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

More About Me
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