As the winter chill sets in, one might not immediately think of potatoes as a winter hero. However, these humble tubers offer various benefits that can be particularly advantageous during the colder months. Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates, providing essential energy needed to keep warm during the winter. They also contain vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system, crucial in combating seasonal illness. 

What is the History of Potato? 

The potato, originating from South America, has a fascinating history spanning centuries. Potatoes were first cultivated by indigenous communities in the Andes Mountains of South America around 7000 to 10,000 years ago. From Europe, the potato spread globally. European explorers and traders introduced it to other parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, and North America. The potato played a crucial role in human history, especially during times of scarcity and famine.  

13 Potato Recipes for Aloo Lovers 

Aloo Paratha 

Introduction 

Aloo Paratha is a popular Indian unleavened flatbread stuffed with a spiced mashed potato filling. It’s a beloved dish enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in many Indian households. 

Ingredients 

• For the dough: 
• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• Water as needed 
• Salt to taste 

• For the filling: 
• 3 medium-sized potatoes boiled and mashed 
•  1 small onion, finely chopped  
• 2-3 green chilies finely chopped  
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger 
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder 
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin 
• ½ teaspoon garam masala 
• Salt to taste 

• Approximate cooking Time: Around 30-40 minutes 

Recipe method 

• In a mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and salt. Gradually add water and knead into a soft, pliable dough. Cover and set aside for 15-20 min. 
• In a separate bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, chopped onions, green chilies, grated ginger, red chili powder, ground cumin and salt. 
• Divide the dough into equal-sized balls. Take one ball and roll it into a small circle  
• Place a portion of the potato filling in the center of the circle. 
• Dust the stuffed ball with flour and roll it out gently into a circle, ensuring the filling doesn’t spill out 
• Cook the paratha on a heat skillet or tawa until both sides are golden brown and crisp 

Aloo Bukhara 

Introduction 

Aloo Bukhara is a sweet and tangy condiment made from dried plums. It pairs well with various Indian dishes, adding a delightful flavor to our meal. 

Ingredients: 

• 250-gram dried plum  
• 1 cup sugar  
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder 
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder 
• 2 cups water 

Approx cooking Time:  20-25 minutes 

Recipe Method: 

• Rinse the dried plums thoroughly and soak them in water for about 2-3 hrs or until they soften. 
• In a pot combine the soaked plums along with their water, sugar, salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, and ginger powder. 
• Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the plums are completely soft and the mixture 
• Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature. Once cooled, blend the mixture into a smooth paste using a blender. 
• Transfer the Aloo Bukhara into a clean airtight jar. 

Dum Aloo 

Introduction 

Dum aloo is a popular north Indian dish where baby potatoes are cooked in a flavorful, spiced gravy. This dish is rich, creamy, and bursting with aromatic spices, making it a favorite in many households. 

Ingredients 

• 500-gram baby potatoes 
• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 1 large onion  
• 2 tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 
• ½ cup yogurt 
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder 
• 1 teaspoon garam masala 
• Salt  

Approx Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes 

Recipe Method: 

• Parboil the baby potatoes in salted water until they are partially cooked. 
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add finely chopped onions and sauté until golden brown 
• Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute until the raw aroma disappears. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt 
• Add the parboiled baby potatoes to the masala mixture and gently coat them with the spices.  
• Lower the heat and add whisked yogurt gradually while stirring continuously. Ensure the yogurt blends well with the potatoes and masala. 
• Cover the pan with a lid and let the potatoes simmer on low heat for another 10-15 min. This process allows the flavors to meld together and the potatoes to absorb the spices. 
• Once done, garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

Chilli Potato 

Introduction 

Chilli Potato is a popular Indo-Chinese dish made with crispy fried potatoes tossed in a flavorful, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce. It’s a delightful appetizer or side dish loved for its crispy texture and zesty taste. 

Ingredients 

• 4 medium-sized potatoes (cut into wedges or cubes) 
• Oil for deep frying 
• 2 tablespoons oil 
• 4-5 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 
• 1-inch ginger (julienned) 
• 2-3 green chilies (split lengthwise) 
• 1 onion (sliced) 
• 1 capsicum/bell pepper (sliced) 
• 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup 
• 1 tablespoon red chili sauce 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• Salt to taste 
• 1 spring onion (chopped) for garnish 

Approx cooking time: 30-40 minutes 

Recipe method 

• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Once hot add the potato wedges or cubes in batches and fry until they turn golden and crispy. Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel 
• In a separate pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add chopped garlic, ginger, and slit green chilies. Sauté for a minute until fragrant 
• Add sliced onions and capsicum. Stir fry on high heat for a couple of minutes until they are slightly tender yet crisp 
• Lower the heat and add tomato ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Toss in the fried potatoes and coat them evenly with the sauce mixture 
• Garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve hot as an appetizer 

Potato Twister 

Introduction 

POTATO TWISTER is a fun and crisp snack made from spiral-cut potatoes, deep-fried to perfection. These twisted potato fries are a delightful treat for all ages perfect for parties. 

Ingredients 

• 4 Large potatoes 
• Oil for deep frying 
• Sat to taste 
• 1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder 

Approx cooking time: 20-30 minutes 

Recipe method 

• Wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Cut off a small slice from one side of the potato to create a stable base 
• Insert a wooden skewer or a stick into the flat slide of the potato. Using a spiralizer tool, a sharp knife cut the potato into a spiral shape by rotating the potato around the skewer 
• Gently place the potato twister into the hot oil. Fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. 
• Once done remove the potato twister from the oil sprinkle salt and optional paprika over the hot twister for seasoning. 

Potato chips 

Introduction 

Homemade potato chips are a crispy flavorful snack loved by all. Making them at home allows us to control the thickness, seasoning, and freshness, resulting in a delightful treat that’s perfect for any occasion 

Ingredients 

• 4 large potatoes 
• Oil for deep frying 
• Salt 
• Seasonings 

Approx cooking time: 20-30 minutes 

^Recipe 

• Wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris. Leave the skin on for added texture and nutrients or peel the if desired. 
• Using a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer, thinly slice the potatoes into even rounds,  
• Soaking the potato slice in cold water for about 30 minutes can help remove excess starch and make the chips crispier.  
• Carefully add a handful of potato slices to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan 
• Once done use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the chips from the oil.  
• Allow the homemade potato chips to cool completely to achieve maximum crispiness.  

Potato Biscuits 

Introduction 

Potato biscuits are soft, fluffy, slightly savory biscuits that incorporate mashed potatoes into the dough, resulting in a delightful taste and texture perfect for breakfast or as a side for soups and stews. 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup mashed potatoes 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda  
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• ½ cup unsalted butter 
• ½ cup buttermilk 
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar  

Approx cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

Recipe 

• Cook and mash potatoes until smooth. ensure they are cooled down before using the recipe 
• In a mixing bowl combine the all-purpose flour baking powder baking soda and salt. Mix well 
• Using a pastry cutter cut the cold butter cubes into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs 
• Add the cooled mashed potatoes to the dry ingredients and butter mixture 
• Use a biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits and place them on the prepared baking sheet  
• Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown 
• Once baked, remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool. 

Aloo Tikki Chaat 

Introduction 

Aloo tikki chaat is a popular Indian street food delicacy made with crispy potato patties topped with a medley of tangy, spicy, and flavorful chutneys, yogurt, and assorted toppings, creating a burst of flavors in every bite. 

Ingredients 

For aloo tikki 

• 4 large potatoes 
• 2tablespoon corn flour 
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder  
• Sat to taste 

For chaat toppings 

• 1 cup boiled chickpeas  
• 1 cup chopped onions, tomatoes 
• Chaat masala for sprinkling 
• Sev  

Approx cooking time: 40-45 minutes 

Recipe 

• Combine the boiled and mashed potatoes with corn flour or breadcrumbs red chili powder cumin powder and salt. Mix well to form a uniform mixture 
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Shallow fry until they turn golden and crispy on both sides 
• Drizzle sweet tamarind chutney and mint coriander chutney generously over tikkis 
• Sprinkel chaat masala on the tikkis and garnish with sev and coriander leaves 

 Aloo Matar 

Introduction 

ALOO matar is a classic North Indian dish featuring potatoes and green peas cooked in a flavorful tomato-based gravy infused with aromatic spices 

Ingredients 

• 3-4 medium-sized potatoes 
• 1 cup green peas, onion, cumin seeds 
• 2 tomatoes, cloves garlic  
• 1-inch ginger 
• 1 teaspoon turmeric, coriander, garam masala 
• Salt 

Approx cooking time: 25-30 minutes 

Recipe 

• Peel and cube the potatoes. If using fresh green peas, shell them if necessary. 
• Heat oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add finely chopped green chili. 
• Add finely chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, and the oil starts separating from the sides. Then add turmeric, garam masala red chilli powder, and salt 
• Add the cubed potatoes and green peas to the spice mixture. Stir to coat the vegetables with the spices.  
• Cook until the potatoes are tender, and the peas are cooked through. Once done garnish with fresh coriander leaves 

Aaloo chaat 

Introduction  

Aaloo chaat is an Indian street food which is made from boiled potatoes, and it is very popular in Delhi and Mumbai. You can cook it at your home in minutes and satisfy your cravings. 

 Ingredients 

• 2 Boiled Potatoes 

• Salt to Taste 

• Pinch Chaat Masala 

• Pinch Cumin Powder 

• Pinch Red Chili Powder 

• 1 Dry Green Chili chopped 

• 1 Tbsp Green Coriander Chutney 

• 1 Tbsp Tamarind Chutney 

• Lemon Juice Few Drops 

• 1 Tsp Coriander Leaves 

Cooking time: 10 minutes 

Cooking Steps 

• Wash and dice the potatoes. 
• Deep fry the potatoes in a kadai, using a little oil. 
• Once done, strain the excess oil. Transfer the pieces to a large bowl. 
• Add coriander powder, chaat masala, and salt to it. 
• Add chopped onion and fresh coriander leaves. 
• Add yogurt and lemon juice to it. Toss it well and serve. 

Aloo Bonda 

Introduction  

Spicy potato filling shaped into balls and dipped into gram flour batter. This Aloo Bonda or potato Bonda tastes delicious when served with a cup of chai. 

Ingredients 

• 5 big potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed 
• ½ tsp cumin seeds 
• ½ tsp crushed coriander seeds 
• ½ tsp mustard seeds 
• A few sprigs of curry leaves, 2 green chilies 
• Few strands of coriander leaves 
• Pinch of turmeric powder 
• Pinch of asafetida powder 
• Oil for deep frying 
• Salt to taste. 

For the besan /chickpea flour batter 

• 2 cups of besan and 2 tbsp of rice flour. 
• A pinch of baking soda. 
• Salt. 

Cooking time: 15-30 minutes  

Instructions 

• Pressure cook potatoes for 3 whistles, peel off the skin once done, and mash it well. Keep aside. In a kadai/ pan, season with mustard urad dal and curry leaves. Add finely chopped ginger, green chili, and onion. Fry till transparent without changing color. Add turmeric and salt. 
• Add cooked, mashed potatoes and mix well so that the turmeric blends evenly. Stir for 2 minutes, drizzle a teaspoon of oil, and lemon juice, and mix. Transfer to a plate and cool down. Make 12 equal-sized balls and set aside. 
• In a mixing bowl, mix everything under the ‘For the batter’ table with a little water to make a batter, it should be thick enough to coat the potato balls. I have added black pepper powder as I like the flavor. 
• Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the potato balls dipped to coat them well in the besan batter mix. Turn over in a minute to cook evenly on both sides. Cook on medium flame. 
• When it’s evenly golden fried, drain it over kitchen tissue. 

Aloo Palak 

Introduction 

This classic Aloo Palak features fork-tender potatoes in a smooth, lightly spiced creamy spinach sauce. It’s a flavorful spinach curry that is ready to enjoy in less than an hour and pairs great with rice and any number of sides. Here you’ll find step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make a delicious aloo palak at home! 

Ingredients  

• 200 grams spinach (palak) – 1 bunch 
• 3 potatoes – medium-sized 
• ⅓ to ½ cup chopped onions or 1 medium-sized 
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium-sized 
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste 2 to 3 medium garlic cloves + 1-inch ginger – crushed or made into a paste in a mortar-pestle 
• 1 or 2 green chilies or 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or serrano peppers 
• 3 cloves 
• 1-inch cinnamon 
• 1 tej patta – small sized, (Indian bay leaf) 
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric) 
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional 
• ¼ or ½ teaspoon Garam Masala 
• 1.5 tablespoon gram flour (besan) – swap with maize flour or chickpea flour 
• 1 cup water or add as required 
• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil or unsalted butter 
• ½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), crushed – optional 
• salt as required 
• 1-inch ginger – julienne for garnish 

Cooking time: 20 minutes 

Instructions: 

Prep: 

Boil the potato in the instant pot or pressure cooker. Do not overboil the potato otherwise, it becomes super soft and mushy. Boil the potato until just soft yet holds the shape. 

Let the potato cool to touch then peel and discard the skin.  

While potatoes are cooling, chop onion, ginger, garlic and tomato. Prep the rest of the ingredients. 

Cut the potato into cubes once it’s cooled down completely. If you cut the warm or hot boiled potato, then it can break or mash easily and you don’t get clean cubes of potato. 

 

Making Spinach Paste: 

1) In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Once hot add ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away. 

2) Add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. 

3) Cook until the onion starts to soften and becomes light pink. 

4) Add chopped spinach leaves. 

5) Mix and cook for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Do not overcook otherwise spinach loses its green color. 

6) Let the mixture cool down slightly and then grind into a smooth paste. 

Making Aloo Palak: 

1) Wipe down the pan using a paper towel and heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil on medium heat. Once hot add chopped tomatoes. 

2) Cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Mash them with the back of the spatula. 

3) Add cumin powder, coriander powder, and remaining salt. Mix and cook for a minute. 

4) Add prepared spinach puree and mix well. 

5) Add about ½ cup of water to the blender jar, swirl it around to clean up the excess gravy, add that water to the pan, and mix. Let it come to a boil. 

6) As soon as it starts boiling, add pan-fried potatoes and stir. 

7) Add crushed kasoori methi and garam masala.  

8) Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the gravy consistency by adding water or simmering it for a few more minutes. Aloo palak is ready to serve. 

Saag Aloo 

Introduction 

Saag aloo is a classic Indian dish cooked all over India. It is usually made with palak but you can also use sarso or methi saag to make this amazing, comforting winter cuisine. 

Ingredients 

• 3 medium Potatoes  
• 250-gram Spinach 
• 2 Green Chillies  
• To taste Salt  
• 3/4 tsp Cumin Seeds  
• 1 pinch Asafoetida  
• 3 tbsp Mustard Oil  
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice  
• 1 pinch Garam Masala Powder 
• 1 tsp Ginger 

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Instructions 

• Wash spinach 2-3 times in enough water to remove all the dirt. 
• Chop the hard stalks of spinach, no need to remove the tender stalks 
• Peel and chop potato into medium-sized cubes (peeling potato is optional) 
• Heat oil in a pan, I prefer to use an iron Kodhai to cook spinach 
• Add mustard oil and let it heal properly and then switch off the heat and let it cool down slightly. 
• Now add cumin seeds, chopped green chilies, ginger, and asafetida. 
• Now add chopped potatoes and salt and mix. 
• Cover and cook on medium heat 
• Stir 2-3 times in between to avoid sticking to the bottom. 
• When potatoes are 90% done add the chopped spinach and mix. 
• Cook on medium heat till spinach becomes soft (no need to cover the pan now) 
• When done add garam masala and lemon juice and mix 
• Serve hot with chapati or rice 

All these recipes have the key ingredient to comfort you with their amazing taste. After all, potato is loved by everyone, and trying them in different flavors and dishes is a wholesome experience to satisfy our winter cravings.