South Indian Potato Curry | Urulai Kari | Urulai Kizhangu Poriyal
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Potatoes sautéed in spices – An essential South Indian favorite
Total Time:20 minutes
Yield:3 people
Ingredients
6 medium Gold Potatoes (other varieties are also acceptable)
4-5 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper (ground)
1 tsp Mustard Seeds (small)
1 tsp Urad Dal (Split or Whole)
1 tsp Ghee (optional)
Instructions
Wash and peel the potatoes
Cut the potatoes into little french fries.
Place your pan on medium heat and wait till it is hot.
Add a cooking oil of your choice. I have used olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and split urad dal.
After the mustard seeds pop and the dal turns a reddish brown, add your cut potatoes.
Add the spices (turmeric and red chilli powder). Do not add salt.
When the potatoes are slightly roasted, add the salt.
Sauté every 30 seconds until roasted golden brown.
Sprinkle black pepper and drizzle the ghee on the potatoes.
Serve hot with rice and rasam.
Notes
When cooking potatoes, do not add salt immediately, as this draws the water out and makes the potato mushy. Adding the salt after slightly roasting draws enough moisture to keep the potato crisp on the outside and buttery on the inside.
Mustard seeds and urad dal add a crunchy element to the dish, a classic tempering in many South Indian recipes. I prefer split urad dal over whole dals as the split ones add just the right amount of crunch. You can skip both ingredients if you do not have them on hand.
That final sprinkle of black pepper and drizzle of ghee is the elevation this dish truly deserves. The classic kari does not ask for this, so this step is optional. But adding them in makes all the difference!
