Aloo Masala. (Amar D. Gupta/Siliconeer)

A staple dish of North India, this potato curry preparation goes well with roti or parathas, writes Chef Sanjay Patel.

Ingredients:

4 to 5 potatoes medium

1 tbsp. rice flour or corn meal

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 pinch asafoetida (optional, but really elevates the taste)

1 tsp. cumin seeds

2 tbsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

½ tsp. red chili powder (up to 1 tsp.)

¼ tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped for garnish

Method

Boil potatoes until they are well cooked. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skins and quarter each potato into 4 large pieces.

In a large bowl, toss the pieces in rice flour coating well, and keep aside.

In a large non-stick wok (kadhai), heat oil. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to the oil.

Stir well so that all the spice powder including salt get cooked in oil.

Do this on a low flame so that none of the spices burn. Immediately, throw in the rice flour tossed potato chunks, stirring gently to coat with the spices and oil.

Cook them on a low flame until all the potato chunks get encrusted with spices, around 7-8 minutes, turning occasionally.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Serve with warm rotis or parathas.